Felipe Vellas to Direct ‘Bateau Mouche’ for Boutique Filmes, Anonymous Content

RIO DE JANEIRO, 12 OCTOBER 2026 —

Brazilian production companies Boutique Filmes and Anonymous Content have announced that director Felipe Vellas will helm Bateau Mouche, a film dramatizing the 1988 sinking of the Bateau Mouche IV pleasure boat in Rio de Janeiro’s Guanabara Bay, which killed 55 people.

The tragedy remains one of Brazil’s most devastating maritime disasters, occurring on New Year’s Eve 1988 as the country transitioned into its Nova República era—a period marked by political optimism following military rule. The film will explore the human stories of passengers, crew, and their families, while examining systemic failures and unresolved questions surrounding the accident.

According to Boutique Filmes partner Gustavo Mello, the project reflects a shared ambition between the companies to elevate Brazilian storytelling through historically grounded narratives.

Vellas, who also serves as a partner at Anonymous Content, described the tragedy as an "event that has never truly reached its conclusion," emphasizing the film’s focus on the perspectives of victims and survivors over the past three decades.

The production faces technical challenges in recreating the large-scale disaster, with Mello noting efforts to blend practical effects with visual effects (VFX) to achieve "a very high artistic level." Anonymous Content CEO Bárbara Teixeira framed the film as aligned with the company’s mission of telling stories of "great cultural significance," particularly one where "acts of irresponsibility" have yet to be fully addressed.

The announcement follows Vellas’ successful collaboration with Boutique Filmes on Elize, which amassed 17.4 million views in its first week on Netflix and topped the platform’s non-English rankings in 90 countries. Mello highlighted the creative synergy between the director and the production teams, stating that Bateau Mouche was chosen for its ability to capture both Brazil’s historical moment and the universal themes of human resilience in crisis.

The film’s development comes as Brazilian cinema increasingly seeks to diversify its output and compete on an international scale, with Mello underscoring the industry’s "responsibility towards the public" to deliver high-quality productions.

While the project remains in early stages, Teixeira emphasized the need to balance dramatic reenactment with factual accuracy, particularly given the tragedy’s lingering impact on families and the nation. The film’s exploration of unpunished negligence—including alleged safety violations and operational failures—could further scrutinize Brazil’s maritime regulatory framework, though no official investigations or legal consequences have been publicly documented in recent years. Production details, including a release timeline, have not been disclosed.

The project’s focus on a real-life disaster aligns with a broader trend in Brazilian cinema toward historical and true-crime narratives, following the success of Lipsztein’s Netflix series Radioactive Emergency and The Endless Night, both of which drew from lesser-known tragedies. The involvement of Anonymous Content, known for high-profile international collaborations, suggests ambitions for global distribution, though no streaming platform or theatrical partners have been confirmed.

Industry observers will watch whether Bateau Mouche can replicate the cross-border appeal of Elize, particularly as Brazilian content gains traction in markets beyond Latin America.

Related: Boutique Filmes · Felipe Vellas · Rio de Janeiro