China’s four biggest streaming platforms, iQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku, and Bilibili, have all acquired the rights to the final season of the Italian-language drama My Brilliant Friend: The Story of the Lost Child.
This marks Fremantle’s largest distribution deal in China, with the combined reach of these platforms totaling around 1.5 billion monthly viewers. It’s also the first time all four Chinese streamers will premiere a non-English European drama at the same time.
The previous three seasons of My Brilliant Friend, based on Elena Ferrante’s bestselling quadrilogy, were streamed on iQIYI, Tencent, and Youku, and also aired on China’s national broadcaster CCTV. This fourth and final season, directed by Laura Bispuri, takes place in 1970s Italy. The series stars Alba Rochwacher as Elena and Irene Maiorino as Lila.
The series is a co-production between HBO and RAI, produced by Fremantle Italy, and its subsidiaries The Apartment, Wildside, and Fandango. The deals with the Chinese platforms were handled by Fremantle’s Asia office in Singapore, led by Haryaty Rahman, EVP of Distribution Asia.
“After the resounding success of the first three series in China, we are immensely proud to be bringing the adaptation of the final chapter of Ferrante’s work to its largest audience ever. My Brilliant Friend’s gripping storytelling and complex characters have taken viewers on an epic journey of friendship for years, both through the bestselling books and acclaimed on-screen adaptations. The unprecedented reach of this deal speaks to the strength of our partnerships across China and is a testament to the strength of the IP globally.” said Haryaty Rahman.
