'My Brilliant Friend' Season 3: Release date, plot, cast, trailer and everything else about the HBO show

Season 3 of the show will be based on Elena Ferrante’s bestselling book ‘Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay’ 
PUBLISHED APR 30, 2020
Elena and Lila (IMDb)
Elena and Lila (IMDb)

HBO and RAI have renewed its critically-acclaimed drama series 'My Brilliant Friend' for a third season. The eight-episode second season is based on Elena Ferrante’s bestselling book ‘The Story of a New Name’, which is the second of the four-part series. Season 3 will be based on ‘Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay’. 

“Bringing Elena Ferrante’s exquisite work to life has been such a joy and privilege,” said Francesca Orsi, the executive vice president of HBO Programming. “The fact that viewers and critics alike have continued to embrace Elena and Lila’s story makes it all the more gratifying, and we thank the entire team led by Saverio Costanzo for their outstanding work on the second season. We cannot wait to tell the next chapter of Elena and Lila’s lives and friendship.”

Release Date:

No release date for season 3 of 'My Brilliant Friend' has been announced as of yet. Watch this space for more.

Plot:

‘My Brilliant Friend’, set in Naples, tells the story of Elena Greco. She met Raffaella Cerullo, whom she has called Lila, in the first year of primary school in 1950. Their story goes on to cover more than 60 years of their lives and explores the mystery of Lila as both Elena’s best friend and worst enemy.

‘Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay’ begins just before Elena’s wedding, when she sees Lila briefly and learns that she has been working in a sausage factory where she is constantly brutalized and sexually harassed. The story chronicles Lila’s relationship with Enzo, Elena’s pregnancy, Elena’s book that Lila and Adele rate as not good, leading to her abandoning it, and more.

Cast:

Gaia Girace as Lila

Gaia Girace in 'My Brilliant Friend' Season 2 (HBO)

16-year-old Gaia, who is from a small seaside town south of Naples, said in an interview, "I fell in love with my character from the first scene I had to play, so I wanted to get that part at all costs," adding, "I like the fact that she's observant and empathetic. But it's a difficult character to play, because she's very complex, she changes attitude in an instant. I was able to understand Lila only by acting her. She gives the appearance of being very strong — maybe if you read the book you might think she's bad, but that's not true, she contains a lot more: she has a fragility that she conceals."

Margherita Mazzucco as Elena

Margherita Mazzucco in 'My Brilliant Friend' Season 2 (HBO)

17-year-old Margherita was picked to play Elena after an arduous audition process. She has played the role brilliantly but had never acted before. In an interview with Vogue, she said, "I've never acted, never done anything," adding, "Even today, I asked myself why they picked me."

For both actors, 'My Brilliant Friend' is their debut performance. 

Showrunner:

The series’ main director is Saverio Costanzo, who created the show after being chosen by Ferrante to helm the production. The story and screenplays are by Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci, and Costanzo. 

Trailer:

No trailer for season 3 of 'My Brilliant Friend' has been released yet. Watch this space for more updates.

If you like 'My Brilliant Friend', you’ll love:

'Anne with an E', 'Fleabag', 'Orange Is the New Black', 'Sharp Objects' and 'Sanditon'.

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