International entertainment studio MFF & CO has optioned the rights to William Ury’s book “Possible: How We Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict.” The company is set to develop a fictional universe inspired by the negotiator’s vast experience in mediating high-pressure situations such as nuclear standoffs, labor disputes and peace talks across four continents.
The original book offers a practical framework on how to deal with conflict, introducing what Ury coined “Path to Possible,” as well as techniques such as “Victory Speech” and “The Balcony” as tools for radical collaboration. MFF & CO hosted the author in Los Angeles last week to introduce the project at The Assembly, the company’s salon-style conversation series held at their offices. A select group of industry figures was also welcomed at the event to meet the author.
At the center of the adaptation is a fictional anthropologist and backchannel negotiator who works in the world’s most volatile environments. The project will examine “both the geopolitical stakes of global conflict and the personal cost borne by those who attempt to resolve it.”
MFF & CO founders Estela Renner and Marcos Nisti will produce the project within their expanding slate of film and TV properties. Ury will executive produce alongside Alexandre Chade, president of the Brazilian chapter of Abraham’s Path, the international peace initiative Ury founded. The author is also the co-founder of the Harvard Program on Negotiation and co-author of “Getting to Yes,” a best-selling negotiation book.
Talking about the adaptation, Ury said: “In a world where conflict often feels inevitable, the real frontier is not victory, but possibility. This project is about showing that even across our deepest divides, there are human pathways to understanding — and that those pathways can shape our shared future. Behind every conflict are human beings with fears, needs and hopes.”
President of Global Content at MFF & CO Miura Kite praised how Ury’s work has “shaped how leaders and communities approach negotiation around the world.” She added that “there has never been a greater need for this type of collaborative philosophy. This project allows us to translate those principles into powerful, emotionally resonant storytelling that will both be fascinating as well as inspiring.”
“This project is very close to our core as a company,” added Nisti. “We believe stories can open space for dialogue where it feels impossible, and ‘Possible’ is about exploring that space with honesty, scale and imagination. At a time when polarization and conflict seem to define the world, we feel an urgent need for stories that offer hope and expand what we believe is possible.”
The Los Angeles-based MFF & Co originated from the international expansion of Maria Farinha Filmes, the leading Brazilian impact entertainment company behind hit series “Ararunas” and successful documentary franchise “The Beginning of Life.”
The rapidly-expanding company’s slate includes “Pegasus,” created by Ron Leshem (“Euphoria”) and Amit Cohen (“False Flag”); “Fail-Safe,” directed by true crime pioneer Joe Berlinger (“Paradise Lost”) and “Esperanza,” by renowned “City of God” and “Two Popes” director Fernando Meirelles.
Earlier this year, MFF & CO also announced U.S. writers Alexander Maggio, Jenny Lynn and Ted Sullivan will adapt Globo telenovelas for North American audiences. The partnership between the entertainment studio and the Brazilian media giant will see the writers reimagining the originals in English-language across several season formats. The landmark deal was first announced in August of 2025.
variety.com
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