HBO's 'My Brilliant Friend' Season 2 Premieres on Rai 1

The second season of HBO's adaptation of Elena Ferrante's 'My Brilliant Friend,' titled 'Storia del nuovo cognome' (Story of a New Name), premiered on Rai 1 on February 10, 2020. The series continues the story of Elena and Lila, now adolescents, navigating life in 1960s Naples. Margherita Mazzucco and Gaia Girace reprise their roles. The season features direction by Saverio Costanzo and Alice Rohrwacher, who directed episodes 4 and 5 set on Ischia. The script was written by Costanzo, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci, and Ferrante herself. The season opens with a depiction of sexual violence, maintaining the raw realism of the source material. Produced by Wildside and Fandango in collaboration with HBO and Rai Fiction, the series preserves the original Neapolitan dialect with subtitles. The narrative explores the evolving relationship between the two friends, with Lila married and Elena still admiring her. The neighborhood itself becomes a character, reflecting Italy's transformation during the economic boom.