My Brilliant Friend (TV series)

My Brilliant Friend
Genre
Created bySaverio Costanzo
Based onNeapolitan Novels
by Elena Ferrante
Written by
Directed by
Starring
Narrated byAlba Rohrwacher
ComposerMax Richter
Country of origin
  • Italy
  • United States
Original languages
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes34
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Luigi Mariniello
  • Sara Polese
  • Laura Paolucci
  • Daria Hensemberger
  • Francesco Nardella
  • Giulio Luciani
Production locations
Cinematography
Editors
  • Francesca Calvelli
  • Carlotta Cristiani
  • Stefano Mariotti
  • Annalisa Forgione
  • Matteo Mossi
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time43–67 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseNovember 18, 2018 (2018-11-18) –
November 11, 2024 (2024-11-11)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

My Brilliant Friend (Italian: L'amica geniale) is a Neapolitan- and Italian-language coming-of-age drama television series created by Saverio Costanzo for HBO, RAI, and TIMvision. Named after the first of four novels in the Neapolitan Novels series by Elena Ferrante, the series is an adaptation of the entire literary work into four seasons.[2] My Brilliant Friend is a co-production between Italian production companies Wildside, Fandango, The Apartment Pictures, Mowe and international film groups Umedia and Fremantle.

The first two episodes of the series were presented at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, in 2018.[3] The first season, based on the first novel in the series, premiered on HBO on November 18, 2018, and on Rai 1 and TIMvision on November 27, 2018.[4][5] A second season, based on the second novel in the series, The Story of a New Name, was confirmed in December 2018,[6] and premiered on Rai 1 on February 10, 2020, and on HBO on March 16, 2020.[7][8] The first two episodes of the second season were screened in selected Italian cinemas from January 27 to 29, 2020.[7]

In April 2020, the series was renewed for a third season, based on the third novel in the series, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay.[9] The eight-episode third season premiered on Rai 1 on February 6, 2022, and on HBO on February 28, 2022.[10][11] In March 2022, the series was renewed for a fourth and final season, based on the final novel in the series: The Story of the Lost Child.[12] The ten-episode fourth and final season premiered on HBO on September 9, 2024,[13] and on Rai 1 on November 11, 2024.

  1. ^ Jones, Tobias (November 19, 2018). "From Fellini to Ferrante: the cinematic vision of My Brilliant Friend". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  2. ^ Moylan, Brian (February 9, 2016). "Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels set for TV adaptation". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  3. ^ Yoshida, Emily (September 2, 2018). "HBO's My Brilliant Friend Adaptation Should Have Been an Anime". Vulture.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference announce was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Patterson, Troy (November 15, 2018). ""My Brilliant Friend," Reviewed: A Prada Ad for Working-Class Gloom, but with Shades of Humble Tenderness". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on August 6, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  6. ^ Otterson, Joe (December 4, 2018). "'My Brilliant Friend' Renewed for Season 2 at HBO, RAI". Variety. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Berni, Andrea Francesco (December 19, 2019). "L'Amica Geniale: storia del nuovo cognome, i primi due episodi usciranno al cinema, ecco il trailer!". BadTaste.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  8. ^ Romano, Nick (January 31, 2020). "HBO's My Brilliant Friend season 2 trailer continues the addicting, emotional drama". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  9. ^ Porter, Rick (April 30, 2020). "'My Brilliant Friend' Renewed for Third Season at HBO". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  10. ^ "Rai 1, dopo Sanremo arriva "L'amica geniale"". Il giornale locale (in Italian). January 26, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  11. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (January 26, 2022). "HBO's 'My Brilliant Friend' Season 3 Gets Premiere Date and Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  12. ^ Chapman, Wilson (March 22, 2022). "'My Brilliant Friend' Renewed for Fourth and Final Season". Variety. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  13. ^ Press, Joy (July 18, 2024). "Say Ciao to the New Cast of My Brilliant Friend Season 4". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.