My Brilliant Friend, one of four novels within the book series written by Elena Ferrante, will soon be made into a series by HBO. The subscription-based network will be breaking ground by airing the Italian language project to the international market, but have given executives plenty of reason to feel a sense of comfort with its strong storyline.
The novel follows the lives of two young girls, Elena and Lilia, who enter a crucial stage of their Italian schooling early on in the story. This process, however, is not as simple as it may seem, with Elena facing protest regarding her wish to enter middle school, at the most immediate level possible, from her own father. As she is not a boy, her education is seen as nonessential within her society, which forces her to fight for herself when no one else will. This task not stop her, however, as she continues to seek out what she feels is right, regardless of the adversity that is thrown at her.
Spanning for decades, the four installments of the written series follow the two girls through their childhood, adolescence, and much of their adulthood, covering themes regarding identity and friendship. Many topics are also deeply explored regarding Italian life and opportunities within the country for children and adults alike.
HBO is expected to depict the full story crafted by Ferrante in a total of 32 episodes. The series will be a project crafted by both Italian and American producers, but may even find success among viewers from each and every country with access to the network.
Although much of the programming on today’s most popular channels and streaming services is provided with English as the primary language, the deviation from this norm does not automatically spell disaster. While some viewers may be unwilling to watch a show given its use of a language despite that of which they know, many are also likely to be more accepting of the art.
This has even been proven by the popularity of other series within recent years. Netflix’s Narcos and Money Heist, which are both in Spanish, found great success among the platform’s viewers, and have helped to signal an advancement in entertainment opportunities for all platforms and networks across television.
The trailer for this series was released two days ago, and provided the first look at the project for viewers. The first episode of the series is expected to be released this November. Watch it below: