Elena Ferrante's novel My Brilliant Friend is becoming a TV series, courtesy of HBO

Elena Ferrante's novel "My Brilliant Friend" is becoming an HBO miniseries.
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Elena Ferrante is getting the HBO treatment. The elusive author's wildly popular Neapolitan novels are headed to television, with HBO announcing that the miniseries based on the first book, My Brilliant Friend, is set to start filming this summer, Entertainment Weekly reports. The series will be directed by the Italian filmmaker Saverio Costanzo; casting announcements have not yet been made, but Costanzo's script is being co-written with Ferrante.

"Through [Ferrante's] characters, Elena and Lila, we will witness a lifelong friendship set against the seductive social web of Naples, Italy," said HBO's programming president, Casey Bloys, in a statement. "An exploration of the complicated intensity of female friendship, these ambitious stories will no doubt resonate with the HBO audience."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.