Six-part series to hit screens in January.

Netflix has adapted Elena Ferrante's bestselling novel La vita bugiarda degli adulti (The Lying Life of Adults) into a six-part series set for release on the streaming platform on 4 January 2023.

The coming-of-age story, set in Naples in the 1990s, revolves around the young Giovanna who sets out on a quest to meet her estranged aunt Vittoria and unravel the web of lies around her.

Netflix introduces the series like this: "brash and bold Aunt Vittoria helps her sheltered niece experience a different side of the city, upsetting the teen's strict parents."

“Quann si’ piccirill, ogni cosa te pare grossa. Quando si gross, ogni cosa t’ pare nient.” La Vita Bugiarda Degli Adulti, la nuova serie tratta dall'ultimo romanzo di Elena Ferrante, arriva solo su Netflix dal 4 gennaio. pic.twitter.com/QIvSRs3cgz

— Netflix Italia (@NetflixIT) December 20, 2022

The Italian-language series, presented in Rome on Tuesday, was written by Ferrante with whom the screenwriters exchanged written correspondence, the only way possible with the anonymous best-selling author.

Directed by Edoardo De Angelis, the series stars newcomer Giordana Marengo (19) as Giovanna and Valeria Golino (57) as Vittoria.

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"I had never thought of doing such a thing", Marengo said of her debut, telling news agency Adnkronos: "It all started because a friend of my mother's sent a photo to the casting. When they picked me it was beautiful and exciting. Valeria helped me a lot, she taught me a lot, she helped me to grow."

Golino said her role as Vittoria required much preparation, including mastering the character's diction, despite being born in Naples.

The series was "an ambitious challenge" said Tinny Andreatta, vice president for Italian content at Netflix, who as director of RAI Fiction had already followed the adaptation of Ferrante's L'Amica geniale (My Brilliant Friend), produced by Fandango in collaboration with HBO Entertainment.

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The Lying Life of Adults is the latest in a string of original Netflix series made in Italy in recent years.

In 2021 the American streaming giant underscored its strong links with Rome by opening a base in the Italian capital, just off Via Veneto.