The epic eight-part drama series My Brilliant Friend, based on Elena Ferrante’s sensational bestselling book of the same name, will stream and screen on FOX SHOWCASE in November
The much-anticipated Italian-language series will premiere in over 55 territories worldwide and is based on the first book in Ferrante’s four-part series of acclaimed novels, which trace the friendship of two girls in post-war Naples.
The first two episodes premiered at the 2018 Venice Film Festival and received a 10 minute standing ovation, with The Hollywood Reporter praising the series’ “extraordinarily promising beginning” and US Vogue stating the drama “marks a high point in the renaissance of Italian television.”
Filmed on location in Italy and including a cast of more than 150 actors and 5,000 extras, My Brilliant Friend tells the story of Elena Greco, a now-elderly woman who discovers the most important friend in her life, Raffaella ‘Lila’ Cerullo, has disappeared without a trace.
A writer, immersed in a house full of books, Greco turns on her computer and starts writing the story of their tempestuous friendship, starting from the point when Elena met Lila in their first year of school in 1950.
Set in a dangerous and fascinating Naples, their story goes on to cover more than 60 years of their lives, as she tries to describe the mystery of Lila, Elena’s brilliant friend and, in a way, also her best friend and worst enemy.
Casting for the series took place over a period of eight months, with over 8,000 children and 500 adults from Italy auditioning. NewcomersElisa Del Genio and Ludovica Nasti were chosen to portray the two lead roles of Elena and Lila as young children, before giving way to two teenage actors, Margherita Mazzucco (Elena) and Gaia Girace (Lila).
My Brilliant Friend is an HBO, Rai Fiction and TIMVISION series, produced by Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani for Wildside and by Domenico Procacci for Fandango in co-production with Umedia Production. All episodes are directed by Saverio Costanzo (Private, The Solitude of Prime Numbers, Hungry Hearts). The story and screenplay is written by Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo. Jennifer Schuur is the executive producer.
The eight-part drama series will stream and screen on FOX SHOWCASE, , from Tuesday, November 20 at 8.30pm AEDT.
