Carmen Miranda Biopic ‘Carmen’ Sets 2027 Shoot in U.S. and Brazil

“Carmen,” a bilingual biopic chronicling the life of Brazilian icon Carmen Miranda, is scheduled to begin production in the second half of 2027, with filming taking place in both the United States and Brazil. Directed by Esmir Filho, the project represents one of the largest budgets in Brazilian cinema history, totaling 61 million reais, or approximately $20 million.

Tatiana Issa, a producer on the film, confirmed to Variety that 80% of the budget has already been secured through Brazilian incentives. H2O Films is planning a theatrical release in Brazil for the second half of 2028, with intentions to distribute the biopic in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, where Miranda continues to hold significant cultural status.

Giovanna Lancellotti will portray Miranda and also serve as a producer. The film is set to be officially unveiled on Oct. 7 at RioMarket, the business forum of the Rio Film Festival. The screenplay was written by Mariana Bardan and Eduardo Melo. Production companies involved include Ananã Produções, led by Julio Uchôa; Producing Partners, a New York-based firm run by Issa and Guto Barra; GL Filmes; and H2O.

Miranda rose to fame in Brazil during the 1930s before launching her American career on Broadway in 1940. Known for her vibrant costumes, fruit-adorned turbans, platform shoes, and rapid-fire singing, she became a Hollywood staple, appearing in 14 feature films before her death from a heart attack in 1955. Issa noted that Miranda became the highest-paid actress in the U.S., even personally negotiating her contracts with Twentieth Century-Fox production chief Darryl F. Zanuck.

“She brought samba to the U.S. and turned it into something pop,” Issa said. “Carmen was responsible for creating Brazil’s soft power at a time when the term did not even exist. Before Pelé and Brazil won soccer World Cups, she was the one who helped shape the international image of Brazilians as a joyful and colorful people.”

Issa highlighted Filho’s suitability for the role following his successful direction of “Homem com H,” the 2025 biography of singer Ney Matogrosso, which received critical praise and strong box office results. Lancellotti has spent several years preparing for the part, undertaking vocal training with Felipe Habib and choreography work with Márcia Rubin and Vanessa Garcia.

“I immersed myself in Carmen Miranda’s story starting in 2021,” Lancellotti said. “I memorized the songs and began humming them every day. Carmen created an identity that, 70 years after her death, is still present in music, the arts and fashion.”

The cast will feature Brazilian actors alongside English-speaking performers to portray historical figures such as Zanuck, Broadway producer Lee Shubert, and David Sebastian, Miranda’s husband. Filming locations include New York City, where scenes depicting Miranda’s arrival by ship and her Broadway shows will be shot; Rio de Janeiro; and Maricá, a municipality in Brazil that will stand in for Los Angeles. Maricá is also a financial backer of the production, and its former L.A. set will eventually become the site of a Carmen Miranda museum.