The acclaimed series “My Brilliant Friend” will gain a new Turkish adaptation produced by Ogm Pictures, slated to enter production by year’s end. This move aims to bring the story, based on Elena Ferrante’s bestselling four-book series, to Turkish audiences following its major success in Italy as an HBO-RAI Fiction co-production.
Simultaneously, the series secures a landmark distribution deal in China, unlocking access to a potential audience of 1.5 billion viewers. The final season, “My Brilliant Friend: The Story of the Lost Child,” will premiere simultaneously on China’s four major streaming platforms: iQiyi, Tencent Video, Youku, and Bilibili. These platforms will also offer complete boxsets of the previous seasons.
“This journey from China to Turkey is a beautiful one for ‘My Brilliant Friend’ and RAI Fiction,” stated Maria Pia Ammirati, Director of RAI Fiction. “After releasing the fourth season on four Chinese platforms, we now have an agreement for a Turkish adaptation. This operation clearly bucks the trend, which until now saw Italy importing series from Turkey. The boundless appeal of this event series, based on Elena Ferrante’s bestsellers, never ceases to amaze. It’s also impressive how a series so deeply rooted in the highly specific historical and cultural context of Naples and post-war Italy conveys universal values concerning women’s dignity, the power of culture, and the profound bond of friendship.”
Mediated by Fremantle International’s Singapore-based Asian distribution office, the China agreement marks an absolute first: all four platforms will simultaneously premiere a non-English European drama series in China.
The fourth and final season, directed by Laura Bispuri, delves into the adult lives of Elena (Alba Rohrwacher) and Lila (Irene Maiorino) against the backdrop of Italy’s political and social turmoil in the late 1970s. Both women have fought to escape their neighborhood – a “prison” of conformity, violence, and unbreakable ties. Facing new challenges like motherhood, career pressures, and betrayals, new facets of their personalities and their powerful friendship emerge.
“My Brilliant Friend” is an HBO-RAI Fiction series, produced by Fandango, The Apartment, Fremantle Italy, Wildside, and Mowe. Lorenzo Mieli produces for Fremantle Italy, The Apartment, and Wildside (both Fremantle group companies), with Domenico Procacci producing for Fandango, in collaboration with RAI Fiction and HBO Entertainment.