Rubens de Falco played the antagonistic character Leôncio in the original series and his father Almeida in this version.
Cleo and Mel Lisboa were considered the title role which went to Bianca Rinaldi. Cleo felt she was not ready for a main role at that time in her career, while negotiations with Lisboa ultimately fell through.
The paintings featured in the opening sequence are Jean-Baptiste Debret depictions of slaves in the Brazilian colonial period.