Streaming Service Paramount Plus to Begin Filming Anderson Silva Biography

Streaming services are starting to realize the potential of the MMA market.

Following the success of the film entitled “Mais Forte que o Mundo” (Stronger Than the World), which was shown in theaters all over Brazil and told the story of former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, streaming service Paramount Plus has begun filming for a biographical series about Anderson Silva.

Last week, O Globo columnist Patricia Kogut published a photo of actor William Nascimento, who will play Silva, alongside one of the most famous singers and actors in the country, Seu Jorge, who will play Benedito, the uncle of the MMA legend who raised him from an early age. In addition to being one of the most popular singers in the country, Seu Jorge also gained respect as an actor after making “Mané Galinha” one of the most important characters in the acclaimed film Cidade de Deus (City of God) in 2002. After City of God, Jorge did 23 films and was nominated as best actor at several festivals in 2021 for the film “Marighella.”

After the news regarding the film was revealed in O Globo, Jorge shared his admiration for Silva on social media.

“Anderson Silva is a great winner. I'm a very good friend of him, I adore him, and his whole family,” he wrote. “It’s an honor to represent such an important character in Anderson's history. Seeing the biography of this athlete's life being told is the greatest joy because it is these Brazilian stories that inspire people. And, for me, it's been much more than a gift to be able to help tell this story.”

While production for the Silva movie is just underway, a film about another icon in Brazilian combat sports has just been delivered to HBO Max. “Faixa Preta,” which is about the life of Fernando Tererê, one of the greatest icons in Brazilian jiu-jitsu history, who should debut on the platform in October. 

According to Rickson Gracie, a film about his life is also being produced by Netflix. The $100 million project is being led by the famous Brazilian film director Jose Padilha (Elite Squad, Robocop and Narcos) and Cauã Reymond, an influential Brazilian actor who is also a black belt and considers Rickson as his idol. Gracie, Padilha and Reymond recently published a picture together on social media.