Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels Will Be Adapted for TV

Reading the four Neapolitan novels written by Elena Ferrante was, no joke, one of the most moving literary experiences of my life. Ferrante is an anonymous Italian author, and her saga examines the lifelong friendship between Lila and Lenú, two brilliant girls from the slums of Naples whose lives diverge in profound ways. It’s impossible to do these books justice in a short news post, but please, please take my recommendation and read them if you love great fiction.

The news today is that the books are set to be adapted into a TV show, and it won’t shock you that I’m somewhere between “overjoyed” and “dangerously ecstatic” at the prospect. Here’s what we know so far, courtesy of THR:

—Each book will be made into an eight-episode series, starting with My Brilliant Friend, for a total of 32 episodes (assuming no cancelations).

—This is a joint production between FremantleMedia’s Wildside, “Italy’s leading TV production company,” and Fandango Productions.

—It will be shot in Italy, and Ferrante will be involved in the project, though details are vague at the moment, and you’d have to guess that her involvement won’t be so extensive that it compromises her anonymity.

—We don’t know when production begins, or when the first series will air.

Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels Will Be Adapted for TV