Shirley Cruz, praised for her role in 2025 drama ‘The Best Mother in the World’, will lead Brazilian coming-of-age feature ‘The She-Devil’, directed by Clara Ferrer and Tainá Bevilacqua. The project explores a young trans boy’s relationship with masculinity, misogyny and the influential women around him, particularly his aunt Iara, played by Cruz.

The film adapts Eli Lemos de Oliveira’s autofictional book and is set in 1990s Rio de Janeiro, following 11-year-old Araí as his fascination with an imagined killer develops into identification with the figure. It remains in development, while related short film ‘The Death of the She-Devil’, also starring Cruz as Aunt Iara, is in post-production; Capivara Movies is producing and Retrato Filmes will distribute in Brazil.