‘The Story of a New Name’ based on second book of Elena Ferrante series

My Brilliant Friend: The Story of a New Name airs on HBO March 16. Based on the second book of Elena Ferrante’s series, The Story of a New Name follows Elena and Lila’s journey into adulthood as they weather romance, heartbreak, success and betrayal.

There are eight episodes. 

My Brilliant Friend debuted on HBO in 2018. The novels are about a pair of girls coming of age in Naples. There are four in the series.

This season begins where the first season left off, with Lila (Gaia Girace) unhappily married to wealthy grocer Stefano Carracci (Giovanni Amura), and Elena (Margherita Mazzucco) unsure of her future, both romantically and academically. Believing she lost her identity when she took her husband’s name, Lila is defiant in her marriage as their world continues to orbit around the Solara family, while model student Elena comes to realize that she is not happy inside or outside her neighborhood. During a holiday in Ischia, the girls reunite with their childhood acquaintance Nino Sarratore (Francesco Serpico).

The Story of a New Name is produced by Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani for The Apartment and Wildside, both part of Fremantle, and by Domenico Procacci for Fandango, in collaboration with Rai Fiction, and HBO Entertainment, in co-production with Mowe and Umedia. The executive producers are Lorenzo Mieli, Mario Gianani, Domenico Procacci, Paolo Sorrentino, Jennifer Schuur, Elena Recchia and Guido De Laurentiis.