How to Be a Carioca recently debuted as a series on Star Plus at the 25th Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival. I am gobsmacked! To be at the premiere, seated in the majestic Odeon Theater in downtown Rio de Janeiro with a standing-room-only crowd, watching the whimsical little book I created decades ago come to life was surreal. It’s the culmination of 14 years of intellectual property negotiations and the creative process to bring my words to the screen. The shining moment? Seeing my name in the credits.

The series far surpassed my expectations. Although different from my book, it reflects the same carioca spirit: unique and eternal. The actors, casting, cinematography, and soundtrack are to perfection. Familiar with the script, I was fascinated to watch my words come alive on screen. The privilege of working together with the uber-talented, Oscar-nominated Carlos Saldanha was indescribable.

The directors have enough material for 144 more episodes. There’s hope that Disney will commit to a second season. It doesn’t get much better than that! Spoiler: I make a cameo appearance in the last episode.