‘My Brilliant Friend’ Second Season Heads To China After Fremantle Inks First-Of-Its-Kind Deal With Three Platforms
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The second season of Italian-language drama My Brilliant Friend: The Story Of A New Name is heading to China after Fremantle signed a deal with three of the country’s leading platforms.
iQIYI, Youku (Alibaba) and Tencent Video have all bought the second season of the drama, as well as re-licensing the first. The deal marks the first time that a non-English language European drama has sold to all three platforms simultaneously.
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Based on the second book of Elena Ferrante’s bestselling novel series, the show recently launched on Italy’s Rai 1 as the nation’s highest-rated drama in almost a year and aired on HBO in the U.S.
Said Haryaty Rahman, SVP, Distribution Asia, International, Fremantle, “Ferrante’s masterful story has been enjoyed by Chinese readers for years. The first season was a huge hit for audiences across the country and it is clear that the genuineness and delicacy of the friendship between the two female characters resonates with millions across borders. The fact that the series has sold to the biggest platforms in the region at the same time non-exclusively is testament to its popularity and to the growing appetite for globally renowned drama.”
The series is an HBO and Rai Fiction series, produced by Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani for Fremantle’s The Apartment and Wildside and by Domenico Procacci for Fandango, in co-production with Mowe and Umedia. The series is directed by Saverio Costanzo who directs six episodes and Alice Rohrwacher who directs two episodes.
Story and screenplays are by Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo. Paolo Sorrentino and Jennifer Schuur are the executive producers.
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