HBO Renews Elena Ferrante Adaptation My Brilliant Friend for Second Season

HBO has renewed Elena Ferrante adaptation series My Brilliant Friend for a second season, the premium cabler announced Tuesday.

“We’re thrilled that Elena Ferrante’s epic story has resonated so powerfully with viewers and critics, and we look forward to the continuing journey of Elena and Lila,” said HBO programming president Casey Bloys of the renewal.

Based on the first of Ferrante’s beloved, bestselling Neapolitan novels, the first season of My Brilliant Friend introduces Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo, two bright, close childhood friends from the same rough Naples neighborhood, in their first year of primary school in 1950. The series continues to explore the highs and lows of their friendship throughout more than 60 years of their lives.

Season two will be based on The Story of a New Name, the second in the four-part book series, published in the U.S. by Europa Editions in 2013. The Story of a New Name will continue following Lila, now recently married and making her entry into the family business, and Elena, continuing her studies and exploring the world outside of her Naples hometown.

The renewal comes as no surprise for My Brilliant Friend, a co-production with Italian television service RAI, on which the still-anonymous Ferrante weighs in with producers via email.

“RAI is deeply proud of the extraordinary success of My Brilliant Friend. It’s an important milestone that confirms our commitment to focusing on international co-production, as well as on the value of Italian talent,” said Fabrizio Salini, CEO of RAI.