"My Brilliant Friend: The Story of the Lost Child"
Fremantle has announced a landmark distribution deal in China that will bring the final season of the acclaimed Italian-language drama series "My Brilliant Friend: The Story of the Lost Child" to four of the country’s top streaming platforms: iQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku, and Bilibili.
The deal—negotiated by Fremantle International’s Asia distribution team based in Singapore—marks the first time all four platforms will simultaneously premiere a non-English-language European drama. Collectively, these platforms reach over 1.5 billion monthly viewers. In addition to the new season, full boxsets of all previous seasons will be made available on each platform.
The HBO-RAI series was created by Saverio Costanzo and is based on Elena Ferrante’s bestselling novels. It is produced by Lorenzo Mieli for Fremantle Italy, The Apartment, and Wildside (both Fremantle companies), and by Domenico Procacci for Fandango, in collaboration with RAI Fiction and HBO Entertainment. The screenplays were written by Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci, and Saverio Costanzo. Fremantle handles global sales in association with RAI Com.
Based on the globally bestselling quadrilogy by Elena Ferrante, published in the U.S. by Europa Editions, "My Brilliant Friend" follows the complex, decades-long friendship between two women. The fourth and final chapter, directed by Laura Bispuri, explores the adult lives of Elena (Alba Rohrwacher) and Lila (Irene Maiorino) amid political and social upheaval in 1970s Italy. As they face motherhood, career struggles, betrayals, and internal conflict, the two women continue to wrestle with the deep bond that has shaped their identities—and defined their lives.
Haryaty Rahman, EVP Distribution Asia, International at Fremantle, spoke about the power and legacy of the series: '“My Brilliant Friend” has proven time and time again to be an unforgettable, universal drama that continues to captivate audiences worldwide'. After the resounding success of the first three series in China, we are immensely proud to be bringing the adaptation of the final chapter of Ferrante’s work to its largest audience ever. “My Brilliant Friend”'s gripping storytelling and complex characters have taken viewers on an epic journey of friendship for years, both through the bestselling books and acclaimed on-screen adaptations. The unprecedented reach of this deal speaks to the strength of our partnerships across China and is a testament to the strength of the IP globally," expressed.
"My Brilliant Friend" quickly became a global phenomenon, with Fremantle distributing the series in over 170 territories. The final season, "The Story of the Lost Child", ranked in the top three shows upon launch on both RAI and HBO, and has earned widespread critical acclaim. The Guardian hailed it as "one of TV’s finest series in years", while The New York Times called it 'one of the best portraits of a lifelong relationship ever made.' The series had previously aired in China on iQIYI, Youku (Alibaba), Tencent, and CCTV, the national broadcaster.
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