Netflix Orders Docu-Series on Anitta, Brazilian Music and Social Star, From Shots Studios (EXCLUSIVE)
By Todd Spangler
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Anitta, currently Brazil’s biggest pop star and social-media personality, will be the subject of a Netflix original unscripted series set to debut globally in 2018.
“Vai ” (“Go Anitta”) promises “unrestricted and uncensored” access to the 25-year-old international superstar, going behind the scenes at her shows in Brazil and traveling around the world, following her interactions with fans on social media, and providing a glimpse into her personal life. The series will be produced for by Shots Studios CEO and co-founder John Shahidi, who manages the Brazilian singer.
The singer-songwriter-digital-influencer has had three chart-topping albums released by Warner Music Brasil, with hit singles including “Downtown” — the first song by a Brazilian artist to be featured on the Spotify’s Top 20 — “Paradinha” and “Vai Malandra.” She’s worked with music figures from around the world including Major Lazer, Iggy Azalea, J Balvin, Alesso, Poo Bear, and Maluma. In 2016, Anitta sang with Brazilian artists Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso in the Olympic Summer Games opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
Anitta (born Larissa de Macedo Machado) also has the largest social-media following of any woman in Brazil: She has 29.4 million Instagram followers, 9.2 million YouTube subscribers, 12.6 million Facebook followers and 7.3 million Twitter followers, in addition to 13 million monthly Spotify listeners. She’s repped by WME.
For Netflix, “Via Anitta” is another sign of its global content strategy — in this case, it’s betting that the popular singer has appeal not just in Brazil and Latin America but worldwide.
The series marks ’ first pact with Netflix. The L.A.-based production and management company was founded by brothers Sam and John Shahidi. The company’s talent roster includes social stars Lele Pons, Rudy Mancuso, Anwar Jibawi, and Hannah Stocking and Swedish DJ Alesso.
Netflix Brasil tweeted about the upcoming Anitta docu-series Thursday:
