The Universal+ platform will premiere the series based on a real-life case, A Friend of the Family (9×60’), on Wednesday, August 14, in Latin America. In Brazil, the miniseries premieres on Monday, August 12.
In a virtual press conference organized by NBCUniversal Latin America, writer, showrunner, and producer Nick Antosca, and actress Jan Broberg, who produces and acts in the series that tells her story of abuse at the hands of a family friend, discussed the relevance of this content for the region.
“Latin America loves its families. My friends in the region focus on family and want to protect them. For me, that’s the perfect reason why this show is perfect for Latin America, to uncover child predators and ensure healing happens for those affected, and not remain silent in situations like this. This has been a stigma in Latin America, the US, and around the world. We try to uncover it to tell our stories, to be believed, and to take action,” expressed Broberg.
“This is a profoundly universal story, and I feel that audiences in Latin America can relate to it. That’s why I think it will resonate in the region,” added Antosca.
The miniseries, starring Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, Mckenna Grace, and Anna Paquin, reveals the hell the Broberg family lived through, with their daughter Jan being kidnapped and repeatedly abused by a family friend.
Jake Lacy and Mckena Grace
A Friend of the Family was conceived by writer, showrunner, and executive producer Nick Antosca, a significant figure in the true crime genre with works like Candy and The Act, which also tackled real cases of crimes perpetrated by seemingly spotless community figures.
Broberg decided to take charge of her story, and when Antosca invited her to produce A Friend of the Family, she didn’t hesitate. Broberg, who is also an actress and participates in the series as the therapist character, indicates that the most important thing for her was to tell the story in a way that people could identify with, “so they could see us as the multifaceted human beings we were in our loving, normal family. We were unsuspecting, trusting, kind, and imperfect people. We were all manipulated, every flaw exploited by a family man we met in church,” concluded Broberg, who is now an activist and communicator.