Begin Again Films Takes International Sales on Brazilian Basketball Biopic 'Paula & Hortência – The Last Chance'

Spain-based Begin Again Films has secured international sales rights to "Paula & Hortência – The Last Chance," a biopic about the two greatest icons of Brazilian women's basketball, with Tainá Müller ("Good Morning, Verônica") and Juliana Didone ("Maybe a Love Story") starring as the titular players.

Georgia Guerra-Peixe Joca directs from a screenplay by Patricia Corso. Café Royal produces alongside Trema and U.S.-based Belladonna. The film is slated for release in the second half of 2027.

Together, Paula and Hortência led Brazil to a world championship in Australia in 1994 and a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The two players also shared a historic feud, and their partnership ushered the sport into a new era of popularity and recognition in Brazil.

Inspired by events leading up to the 1996 Games, the film follows the moment when Hortência, a new mother who had already retired from basketball, is called back to the Brazilian national team. Told through Paula's perspective, the story explores the challenges, disagreements and partnership between the two athletes that helped shape one of the most successful eras in Brazilian sports.

The biopic is one of the first major projects at Trema, the newly founded banner from "The Last Trail" director Gabriel Mascaro and veteran producer Paula Cosenza.

Joca described the film as "a feminine, delicate, and intimate biopic that touches upon current themes, such as maternity, rivalry, empathy, and sorority."

"I chose a hybrid language, where fiction is in direct dialogue with archive," continued Joca. "In this sense, I can pay homage to the final moments of Paula and Hortência playing together at the 1996 Olympics, when they were bidding farewell from the courts as a duo. It is a film that makes us root for the Olympic medal, to laugh, be moved and, above all, believe in the potency of female relationships. I am thrilled to be directing a film that, beyond telling the story of two extraordinary women, invites us to reflect on such present issues."

Gloria Bretones, co-CEO and head of international sales and acquisitions at Begin Again Films, said the company committed early. "We fell in love with the project from the very beginning," she said. "It has a distinctive voice, a strong cinematic identity, and that special combination of emotion and originality we always look for at Begin Again Films. Sports stories, and basketball in particular, also connect with many of the values we believe in: passion, effort, teamwork, and resilience. We are very excited to bring this film to international audiences."

Adriana Tavares, partner at Café Royal, called Paula and Hortência "absolute legends of Brazilian sports." "Telling their story is a way of immortalizing their legacy. Partnering with Begin Again Films fills us with pride, as it allows us to bring this powerful narrative beyond our borders. It connects global audiences with the triumph, grit, and passion of these incredible women, while showcasing the power of Brazilian cinema," Tavares said.

Producer Paula Cosenza said Joca has "this incredible ability to tell Brazilian stories in a very particular poetic way that arouses interest all over the world."

"We are thrilled to see this talent recognized by Begin Again Films, who are joining the team to sell the film internationally, helping it to reach audiences beyond our borders," continued Cosenza. "It also confirms this incredible moment for Brazilian cinema, supported by consistent public policies that allow us to have our work present at all major festivals and markets."

With sales now handled from Spain and a 2027 release on the calendar, the producers position the project as part of a broader run of Brazilian films reaching global festivals and markets — and a test of how a sports story rooted in the 1990s travels to international buyers.