Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Red carpet David di Donatello© GettyImages

Penélope Cruz to star in Elena Ferrante movie adaptation

The film is based on one of Ferrante’s most famous novels and reunites her with director Isabel Coixet


Maria Loreto
Senior Writer
SEPTEMBER 6, 2023 11:30 AM EDT

Penélope Cruz has secured her upcoming film. The beloved Spanish actress will star in an English-language adaptation of “The Days of Abandonment,” an Italian novel written by Elena Ferrante. The film will be directed by Isabel Coixet, a Spanish director that’s worked with Cruz in the past.

1st "Nouvelles vagues" International Biarritz Film Festival   Day Two© GettyImages
Penelope Cruz at the Biarritz Film Festival

“The Days of Abandonment” will transplant its original Italian setting to America, with Cruz playing Olga, a writer forced to put her career on hold once her husband of 15 years abandons her and their two daughters for another woman. The screenplay will be written by Laurence Coriat and will be directed by Coixet, who worked with Cruz in the film “Elegy.”

Elena Ferrante is one of the most prolific and mysterious writers of our times. Her novels have become worldwide best sellers and have been adapted into succesful films and TV series, like “My Brilliant Friend,” “The Lying Life of Adults,” and “The Lost Daughter.” Despite her immense popularity, Ferrante keeps her life and identity private, writing under a pseudonym.

FERRARI - Official Teaser Trailer - In Theaters Christmas

Michael Mann’s “Ferrari”

Penélope Cruz just premiered her latest film at Venice Film Festival. Despite not attending, she has earned rave reviews and early awards buzz for her work in “Ferrari,” opposite Adam Driver. The film is directed by Michael Mann and follows Ferrari’s life, with Cruz plays his wife.