iQiyi contacts My Brilliant Friend

My Brilliant Friend debuted last month

Chinese streamer iQiyi has become the latest company to pick up My Brilliant Friend, the Italian drama based on the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name.

The show, a coproduction between HBO in the US and Rai Fiction and TimVision in Italy, is adapted from the first title in Ferrante’s quartet of Neapolitan novels.

The eight-part drama launched on HBO last month and has recently been extended into a second season, which will focus on Ferrante’s second novel, The Story of a New Name.

It has already been sold around the world, with companies including VRT in Belgium, TVNZ in New Zealand and Sky Atlantic in the UK picking up rights.

The show’s director is Saverio Costanzo, who also scripted the series together with Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo and Laura Paolucci. Paolo Sorrentino and Jennifer Schuur exec produce. Fremantle is distributing the drama internationally in association with Italian pubcaster Rai’s commercial arm, Rai Com.