The creators of the controversial Netflix film, The First Temptation of Christ, were targeted by a Molotov cocktail bomb in the early hours of Christmas Eve. The headquarters of the comedy troupe, called Porta dos Fundos, in Rio de Janeiro, was hit by two petrol bombs, causing a fire which "endangered several innocent lives in the company and on the street." Luckily, no one was hurt, and Porta dos Fundos has given the police their security camera footage of the attack.
This event occurs in the wake of the major backlash that the group received for their aforementioned film, which portrays certain Biblical events in a new light. In the special, Jesus brings home his "new friend," or his heavily implied boyfriend, to meet his family on his 30th birthday. The film was not well received by many, who claimed that portraying Jesus as a gay man was offensive to Christians. A petition, which now has 2.33 million signatures, was started, demanding the removal of the film from Netflix's catalogue. Porta dos Fundos responded to the bombing, which, as of yet, has not been confirmed to have been in connection with their latest film. “Porta dos Fundos condemns any act of violence. We expect those responsible for the attacks to be found and punished. However, our priority right now is the safety of the entire team that works with us. We will speak again once we have more details. Meanwhile, Porta dos Fundos would like to reinforce our commitment to good humour and declare that we will move on stronger, more united, inspired, and confident that Brazil will survive this storm of hatred, and love will prevail along with freedom of speech.”
