Brazilian director-producer Paulo Nascimento is preparing “A Chocolate Christmas”, a Portuguese-language romantic drama to be filmed in Gramado, southern Brazil, and New York City from December. The project will use Gramado’s large-scale Natal Luz Christmas festival as a backdrop, giving the production access to major festive events and visuals without the cost of recreating them.

The story follows Linda, who returns to Gramado a decade after leaving for the United States following a teenage heartbreak, now an accomplished chocolatier planning a Manhattan shop. After her father has a heart attack, she reconnects with her family’s chocolate business and former boyfriend; filming is planned for one week in New York in December 2026 and four weeks in Gramado in January 2027. Accorde Filmes, H2O Films and New York-based Rose Pictures are producing, with H2O targeting a Brazilian cinema release for Christmas 2027.