Netflix’s Christian Nationalism Doc ‘Apocalypse in the Tropics’ Set for Summer Release, Fall Awards Push (Exclusive)

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Apocalypse in the Tropics,” a potent Portuguese-language documentary that explores the growth and influence of Christian nationalism in Brazil, showing chilling parallels to its ascent in America, will be eligible for awards consideration during the 2025-2026 season, even though it premiered at significant film festivals worldwide in 2024, according to reports from The Hollywood Reporter.

Without a doubt, the movie in question is a production of Oscar nominee Petra Costa (of the 2019 film The Edge of Democracy), which Netflix purchased in December 2024 following its successful screenings at the Venice, Telluride, New York, and IDFA film festivals last autumn. This movie will have a limited theatrical release over the summer before becoming available on Netflix on July 14.

Netflix considers it a significant focus for awards during the off-season of fiction, alongside the 2025 Sundance purchase titled “The Perfect Neighbor“. In simpler terms, both these projects hold high importance in Netflix’s non-fiction award season lineup and are set to be released in 2025 following their acquisition at Sundance.

The August 2024 review by THR found “Apocalypse in the Tropics” to be captivating, particularly due to its exceptional insider perspective on significant Brazilian political figures such as Jair Bolsonaro, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Silas Malafaia, a well-known Evangelical TV minister who wields political influence. This film was shown during a period of intense political upheaval that significantly split the population of over 200 million Brazilians.

I’m absolutely excited to share that my latest creation, ‘Apocalypse in the Tropics,’ will soon be unveiled to the world. In this film, I delve into the intricate dance between spiritual yearning and political aspiration, as seen through the lens of Brazil’s narrative. I invite you, the viewer, to ponder the delicate boundary between faith and power, and consider the potential consequences for democracy when that boundary starts to blur.

Two-time Oscar winner Jeremy Kleiner, from Plan B Films (known for producing 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight), expresses his enthusiasm as an executive producer, saying, “Petra Costa is a unique storyteller who perfectly captures the zeitgeist. We can’t wait for global audiences to immerse themselves in her latest visually stunning masterpiece.

In this film, Costa worked alongside writers such as Nels Bangerter, David Barker, Tina Baz, and Alessandra Orofino. Additionally, Alessandra Orofino served as the co-producer for Peri Productions. Alongside Kleiner from Plan B Entertainment, and his partners Dede Gardner and Brad Pitt, executive producers include Jenny Raskin, Jim Swartz, Susan Swartz, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Katrina vanden Heuvel, the Meadow Fund for Impact Partners, Jeffrey Lurie and Marie Therese Guirgis from Play/Action Pictures, Felipe Estefan and Rafael Georges Zein from Luminate, Katy Drake Bettner, Kate Hurwitz, InMaat Foundation, Frida Polli, James Costa, and Trevor Burgess.

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2025-05-09 19:24