HBO speaks Italian with Elena Ferrante's 'My Brilliant Friend'

BEVERLY HILLS, California — HBO's eight-episode "My Brilliant Friend" starts with a big plus. It's based on an acclaimed, best-selling novel by Elena Ferrante.

But it also presents some challenges. It's the first foreign-language series for the pay-cable network — it will air with subtitles — and collaboration with Ferrante had to be done by e-mail, since the author, who writes using a pseudonym, keeps her identity secret.

In the story of two girls growing up in 1950s Naples, newcomers Elisa Del Genio and Ludovica Nasti play young Elena and Lila, with Gaia Girace and Margherita Mazzucco portraying them as teenagers. All four spoke in Italian during an HBO panel Wednesday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

"My Brilliant Friend," which will premiere later this year, is one of Ferrante's four novels, known as the Neapolitan Quartet, written originally in Italian. Director Saverio Costanzo said his goal is to present each book in a separate, eight-episode season.

The Italian dialogue, he said, "uses dialect to separate class," and the challenge was "to create nuance for the worldwide audience," executive producer Jennifer Schuur said. "One of the challenges we face (is to) translate that" language difference for worldwide viewers.

As for Ferrante's identity, it was never an issue.

"I don't know who she is. I am not curious to know," said Costanzo. "She was writing with us from the beginning … collaborating a lot. … She would help us keep from making mistakes. She is, in my opinion, a very good script writer. She can be tough. She can also be very gentle."

Ferrante's identity "is one of the most well-kept secrets in Italy," executive producer Lorenzo Mieli said. "At the end of the day, nobody cares."

WFXT