9 Brazilian soap operas that have identical characteristics to Hollywood movies

Some stories are so universal and so successful that they deserve to be told again and again, from different points of view. This idea is what seems to move directors, producers and also the public, who consume the narratives in different formats and adaptations. Also, for true fans, it’s always good to be able to compare one format to another and choose the one that best represents the work.

Here in the awesome.club we admire creativity, innovation and the ability to approach the same story with different eyes. Therefore, we prepared this article that presents nine Brazilian soap operas that, possibly, were based on foreign films. In the end, a bonus awaits you.

As in Erin Brockovich: A Talented Woman (2000), Amor de Mãe (2020) features a protagonist who experiences solo motherhood at some point in her life. In addition, both protagonists work with law. Erin, from the foreign production, as an assistant and Vitória, from the Brazilian soap opera, as a lawyer. But the similarities don’t stop there: the two actively defend families who have been affected by water poisoning, they are not afraid to “buy a fight” with powerful people or organizations and, with that, they show how fearless they are, facing everything. for your ideals. Two amazing women, no? A curiosity: Julia Roberts, the actress who gave life to Erin in theaters, won the Oscar for best actress for the film in 2001.

Despite the general plot being freely inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo, Clara’s story, in The Other Side of Paradise (2017), refers to the classic Kill Bill: Vol.1 (2003) by Quentin Tarantino. In the film, as in the novel, the characters get involved with violent men and are separated from their newborn children. Both spend some time missing: in the case of the film, it’s four years, as a result of an ambush that puts The Bride into a coma. In the telenovela, there are ten years of absence, due to a betrayal that causes Clara to be hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic. The two characters manage to pull themselves together and return to exact revenge. In both the film and the novel, they take revenge on seven people.

The Other Side of Paradise (2017) seems to have drawn inspiration from many works to compose the general story of the plot and the individual stories of the characters. One of them is Elizabeth, who during the soap opera changes her name and becomes Duda. The character may have been influenced by the film Madame X (1966), where Holly Parker is introduced. Both characters have a humble origin and marry important men, on the professional rise, with whom they have a child each. In the case of the film, Holly’s mother-in-law is against the union. In the novel, Elizabeth’s father-in-law is against his son’s marriage. The characters are blackmailed by their in-laws and convinced to fake their own death in order to disappear. In both cases, they meet their children as adults, some time later, working as lawyers. The two women are defended, in the courts, by their children. A lot of similarity, no?

Jane Austen’s books have already inspired several adaptations, whether in cinema, theater, novels or series. Pride and Prejudice (2005) is perhaps one of the most remembered. However, Brazil also made her contribution through the soap opera Pride e Paixão (2018). In both the film and the novel, the story of the Bennet family, composed by Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Bennet and her five daughters. The protagonist Elizabeth is a woman ahead of her time, who has many dreams and does not consider marriage as the most important thing to pursue. In the Brazilian adaptation, the Bennets saw the Benedito family. The novel also adds to the plot with other Jane Austen classics, such as Emma, ​​Lady Susan, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey.

A Love to Remember (2002), a film based on the book of the same name by Nicholas Sparks, made many teenagers cry with the story of Jamie and Landon. Two years later, the 11th season of Malhação – Multiple Choice, seemed to be inspired by the couple’s story. In both the film and the novel, a group of rebellious and reckless youths appear in a shipyard, where a bad prank leaves a young man seriously injured. In the film, Landon is punished by being forced to participate in the theater group, while in Malhação, Gustavo does volunteer service. At that moment, they meet the girls who will play a key role in their lives: in the film, Jamie, in Malhação, Letícia. Both Landon and Gustavo change their behavior influenced by the love they feel for Jamie and Leticia, respectively. This season of Malhação ended up becoming one of the most iconic, due to Vagabanda, a pop rock band with authorial production, formed by Gustavo, Natasha and Catraca. Do you remember?

The Illusionist (2006) impacted many people with a fantastic story about forbidden love, magic and an elaborate plan so that the protagonist couple could be together. In the same year, there was the premiere of a remake of the soap opera O Prophet (1977). In the 2006 production, however, some parts of the narrative were modified. In one of the chapters, the young lady Sônia fakes her own death to escape her unhappy marriage and appears as a “spirit” in one of Marcos’s presentations, where she incriminates Clóvis. The scene is very similar to one of the parts of the movie. The soap opera was re-aired in 2013.

The classic Carrie the Strange (2002) is another work that seems to have inspired Brazilian screenwriters and directors. The iconic scene in which the protagonist is bathed at the prom was reproduced in Chocolate com Pimenta (2003), where Ana Francisca is also a victim of humiliation, taking a bath in green paint. The film had its first version in 1976, and is an adaptation of the book of the same name, by Stephen King, originally published in 1974. In turn, the novel was so successful that it has been rerun three times: in 2006, 2012 and 2020. Quite a story, isn’t it?

The acclaimed series Game of Thrones (2011) came to an end, but it was so successful that it seems to have inspired other productions. In 2020, it was voted the best TV series of the 21st century by popular vote. Furthermore, it won 59 Emmys in total. The series has 73 episodes, spread over 8 seasons and was based on the books A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin, whose first volume was published in 1996. In turn, the novel Deus Salve o Rei (2018) is also a plot that involves dispute between kingdoms, stories of love, betrayal, ambition and war. Those who are fans of the series can find some similarities, both in the opening of the novel, as in some scenes. The audience for Deus Salve o Rei was very good and on the day the last chapter was aired, it was trending topics worldwide for 6 hours.

The book O Conde de Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, originally published in 1844, inspired dozens of films, novels and plays around the world. The story of Dantes, a promising young man who is engaged to a beautiful woman and is betrayed by his friends, being unjustly imprisoned for years on an escape-proof island, where he meets a mentor who helps him plot his revenge plan, seems be successful among the public. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) may even be the adaptation that appears in the imagination of most fans, but Brazil seems to have contributed with a possible version of the work. It is about the soap opera Flor do Caribe (2013), which was rerun in 2021 and is considered a success.

Foreign films are not the only ones to inspire Brazilian telenovelas. The national production was also honored by a successful soap opera. In this case, we are talking about the film Candinho, from 1954, which inspired the story of Êta Mundo Bom!, from 2016. Both protagonists have the same name and share similar life stories. The film was also based on a literary work. It is the novel Candide, or Optimism, by Voltaire, originally published in 1759.

Have you ever watched any movie or soap opera on this list? What was your favorite? Do you remember another novel that seems to have been inspired by a story present in movies or books? Share in the comments!