A highly-anticipated HBO series is set to premiere in November, and to the surprise of many, it doesn’t feature any huge stars, dragons, robots, or any combination thereof. Instead, “My Brilliant Friend” is the adaptation of one of the most critically-acclaimed novels of the last decade. And in the first trailer for the series, you see why HBO is excited for the series, enough to premiere it at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
“My Brilliant Friend” tells the story of a friendship that defined the lives of two women for decades. The teaser introduces us to the two girls as they prepare for middle school, and their respective families dispute just how smart the girls actually are. Through this strife, the two girls find each other and the bond is immediately formed, as their relationship influences their entire lives.
The series is based on the aforementioned Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels, which includes “My Brilliant Friend” and its ensuing sequels. The first novel is being adapted for the 8-episode series from filmmaker Saverio Costanza, who is probably best known for directing the series “In Treatment.” Plans are for each book to be adapted, compiling a total of 32 episodes.
As mentioned, “My Brilliant Friend” has its world premiere at Venice, but will hit HBO in November.
Check out all our coverage from the 2018 Venice Film Festival here.
Here’s the synopsis:
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, seems to have 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 their first year of primary 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 — her best friend, and worst enemy.