Shooting is underway in Naples on the fourth and final season of HBO/RAI series “My Brilliant Friend” which sees some key casting changes in the lead roles of the two best friends, Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo, no longer played by Margherita Mazzucco and Gaia Girace.
For the fourth season of the Elena Ferrante quadrilogy, titled “The Story of the Lost Child,” as previously announced, Alba Rohrwacher (on the left of the first look image) is playing Elena Greco, aka Lenù. Irene Maiorino (“Gomorrah”) has now been announced as Lila. And additionally, Fabrizio Gifuni (“Exterior Night”) will play Nino Sarratore, the writer who has long been the object of Lenù’s affection. Sarratore was previously played by Francesco Serpico.
The fourth season of “Brilliant Friend” is being directed by Laura Bispuri, known for the transgender-themed drama “Sworn Virgin” and for “Daughter of Mine.” Both films starred Rohrwacher and played in Berlin.
The final “Brilliant Friend” installment sees the two protagonists as adults. Elena, who left Naples, became an established writer and got married, then separated, returns to Naples. Lila instead has stayed in Naples and become more entangled with the Camorra, the Neapolitan mob.
Saverio Costanzo, who shaped the show and directed most episodes of its first two seasons, serves as executive producer, along with Paolo Sorrentino, Jennifer Schuur,Elena Recchia and Guido De Laurentiis. The story and screenplays are by Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Costanzo.
The series is produced by Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment and Wildside (both Fremantle companies) and by Domenico Procacci for Fandango, in collaboration with RAI Fiction and HBO Entertainment.
The hit Italian drama has traveled to over 170 territories sold by Fremantle, which will also be distributing the fourth and final season, in association with RAI sales unit RAI Com.
