Fremantle sends Brilliant Friend around world

My Brilliant Friend launches next month

MIPCOM: Distributor Fremantle has sold Italian-US drama My Brilliant Friend to free and pay TV platforms spanning 56 countries ahead of its release later this autumn.

Buyers include Canal+ for France and French-speaking Africa; Sky Atlantic in the UK; HBO Europe, covering Scandinavia, Spain and CEE; and Quebecor Content for French-speaking Canada.

A coproduction between HBO in the US and Rai Fiction and Timvision in Italy, My Brilliant Friend is the first adaptation in the quartet of Neapolitan novels by Elena Ferrante. The eight-part drama will launch on HBO in the US on November 18.

Other buyers comprise VRT in Belgium, RUV in Iceland, SVT in Sweden, Cosmote TV in Greece, Digiturk in Turkey, pay platform Hot and Cellcom TV’s SVoD service in Israel, Manoto TV in MENA, Foxtel in Australia and New Zealand’s TVNZ.

First announced back in 2016, the drama received a 10-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival, according to Jens Richter, CEO of International at Fremantle.

“The drama features an amazing custom made-set of 1950s Naples and a spectacular young cast that brilliantly brings Ferrante’s iconic and powerful story to life, Richter said. “It’s a world-class drama that is set to transfix global audiences.”

My Brilliant Friend is coproduced by Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani of Wildside and Domenico Procacci at Fandango. It is a collaboration with Rai Fiction, Timvision, HBO and Umedia.

The 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 the Italian pubcaster Rai’s commercial arm, Rai Com.