''Money Heist'' ( es, La casa de papel, link=no, , ) is a Spanish
heist crime drama
Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
television series created by
Ălex Pina
Alejandro "Ălex" Pina Calafi (born 22 June 1967) is a Spanish television producer, writer, and director, known for the crime drama '' Money Heist''. Previous shows include '' Vis a vis'', ''El embarcadero'', and ''Los hombres de Paco''. His new ...
. The series traces two long-prepared heists led by
the Professor (
Ălvaro Morte
Ălvaro Antonio GarcĂa PĂ©rez (born 23 February 1975), known professionally as Ălvaro Morte, is a Spanish actor. He gained worldwide recognition for playing the role of ' The Professor' in the television series ''Money Heist''.
Early life
Ă ...
), one on the
Royal Mint of Spain
The Royal Mint of Spain ( es, FĂĄbrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre â Real Casa de la Moneda, lit=National Coinage and Stamp Factory â Royal Mint, FNMT-RCM) is the national mint of Spain. The FNMT-RCM is a public corporation that is attached t ...
, and one on the
Bank of Spain
The Bank of Spain ( es, link=no, Banco de España) is the central bank of Spain. Established in Madrid in 1782 by Charles III of Spain, Charles III, today the bank is a member of the European System of Central Banks and is also Spain's national ...
, told from the perspective of one of the robbers,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, æ±äșŹ, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, æ±äșŹéœ, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
(
Ărsula CorberĂł
Ărsula CorberĂł Delgado (born 11 August 1989) is a Spanish actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Ruth GĂłmez in ''FĂsica o quĂmica'' (2008â2010), Margarita de Austria in the television series ''Isabel'' (2014) and Marta in ...
). The narrative is told in a real-time-like fashion and relies on flashbacks, time-jumps, hidden character motivations, and an
unreliable narrator
An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose credibility is compromised. They can be found in fiction and film, and range from children to mature characters. The term was coined in 1961 by Wayne C. Booth in ''The Rhetoric of Fiction''. While unrel ...
for complexity.
The series was initially intended as a limited series to be told in two parts. It had its original run of 15 episodes on Spanish network
Antena 3 from 2 May 2017 through 23 November 2017.
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
acquired global streaming rights in late 2017. It re-cut the series into 22 shorter episodes and released them worldwide, beginning with the first part on 20 December 2017, followed by the second part on 6 April 2018. In April 2018, Netflix renewed the series with a significantly increased budget for 16 new episodes total. Part 3, with eight episodes, was released on 19 July 2019. Part 4, also with eight episodes, was released on 3 April 2020. A documentary involving the producers and the cast premiered on Netflix the same day, titled ''
Money Heist: The Phenomenon'' ( es, link=no, La casa de papel: El FenĂłmeno). In July 2020, Netflix renewed the show for a fifth and final part, which was released in two five-episode volumes on 3 September and 3 December 2021, respectively. Similar to ''Money Heist: The Phenomenon'', a two-part documentary involving the producers and cast premiered on Netflix the same day, titled ''Money Heist: From Tokyo to Berlin''. The series was filmed in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, Spain. Significant portions were also filmed in Panama, Thailand, Italy (
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
), Denmark and in Portugal (
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
). A loose remake/continuation set in
the same world, ''
Money Heist: Korea â Joint Economic Area'', was released on June 24, 2022, while a direct spin-off, ''Berlin'', with
Pedro Alonso
Pedro Gonzålez Alonso (born 21 June 1971), known as Pedro Alonso, is a Spanish actor, writer, and artist. He is best known for his role of Andrés "Berlin" de Fonollosa in the Spanish heist series ''Money Heist'' (''La casa de papel'') and fo ...
reprising his role, is in active development, forming a
shared universe
A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...
.
The series received several awards including the
International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series
The International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series is presented by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (IATAS) during the International Emmy Awards ceremony. The category is described on the official International Academy websi ...
at the
46th International Emmy Awards
The 46th International Emmy Awards took place November 19, 2018 at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City. The award ceremony, presented by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (IATAS), honors all TV programming produced ...
, as well as critical acclaim for its sophisticated plot, interpersonal dramas, direction, and for trying to innovate Spanish television. The Italian anti-fascist song "
Bella ciao", which plays multiple times throughout the series, became a summer hit across Europe in 2018. By 2018, the series was the most-watched non-English-language series and one of the most-watched series overall on Netflix,
[ having particular resonance with viewers from ]Mediterranean Europe
Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alba ...
and the Latin American regions.
Premise
Set in Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, a mysterious man known as the "Professor" recruits a group of eight people, who choose city names as their aliases, to carry out an ambitious plan that involves entering the Royal Mint of Spain
The Royal Mint of Spain ( es, FĂĄbrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre â Real Casa de la Moneda, lit=National Coinage and Stamp Factory â Royal Mint, FNMT-RCM) is the national mint of Spain. The FNMT-RCM is a public corporation that is attached t ...
, and escaping with âŹ984 million. After taking 67 people hostage inside the Mint, the team plans to remain inside for 11 days to print the money as they deal with elite police forces. In the events following the initial heist, the group's members are forced out of hiding and prepare for a second heist, with some additional members, this time aiming to escape with gold from the Bank of Spain
The Bank of Spain ( es, link=no, Banco de España) is the central bank of Spain. Established in Madrid in 1782 by Charles III of Spain, Charles III, today the bank is a member of the European System of Central Banks and is also Spain's national ...
, as they again deal with hostages and police forces.
Cast and characters
Main
* Ărsula CorberĂł
Ărsula CorberĂł Delgado (born 11 August 1989) is a Spanish actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Ruth GĂłmez in ''FĂsica o quĂmica'' (2008â2010), Margarita de Austria in the television series ''Isabel'' (2014) and Marta in ...
as Silene Oliveira (Tokyo): a runaway turned robber who is scouted by the Professor, then joins his group and participates in his plans. She also acts as the unreliable narrator.
* Ălvaro Morte
Ălvaro Antonio GarcĂa PĂ©rez (born 23 February 1975), known professionally as Ălvaro Morte, is a Spanish actor. He gained worldwide recognition for playing the role of ' The Professor' in the television series ''Money Heist''.
Early life
Ă ...
as Sergio Marquina (The Professor) / Salvador "Salva" MartĂn: the mastermind of the heist who assembled the group, and Berlin's younger brother
* Itziar Ituño
Itziar Ituño MartĂnez (born June 18, 1974) is a Spanish actress, who performs in her native Basque language as well as in Spanish language, Spanish. She is best known for her role as Inspector Raquel Murillo in the Spanish television series '' ...
as Raquel Murillo (Lisbon): an inspector of the National Police Corps
The National Police Corps ( es, Cuerpo Nacional de PolicĂa, link=no, CNP; ; also known simply as National Police, ) is the national civilian police, police force of Spain. The CNP is mainly responsible for policing urban areas, whilst rural ...
who is put in charge of the case
* Pedro Alonso
Pedro Gonzålez Alonso (born 21 June 1971), known as Pedro Alonso, is a Spanish actor, writer, and artist. He is best known for his role of Andrés "Berlin" de Fonollosa in the Spanish heist series ''Money Heist'' (''La casa de papel'') and fo ...
as Andrés de Fonollosa (Berlin): a terminally ill jewel thief and the Professor's second-in-command and older brother
* Paco Tous
Francisco MartĂnez Tous (born 1 May 1964), known professionally as Paco Tous, is a Spanish actor. He is best known for his starring roles as Paco in the television series ''Los hombres de Paco'' (2005â2010; 2021) and as AgustĂn "Moscow" Ramo ...
as AgustĂn Ramos (Moscow) (parts 1â2; featured parts 3â5): a former miner turned criminal and Denver's father
* Alba Flores
Alba GonzĂĄlez Villa (born October 27, 1986), known professionally as Alba Flores, is a Spanish actress. She is best known for her roles as Saray Vargas in '' Vis a Vis (Locked Up)'' and Nairobi in '' La Casa de Papel (Money Heist)''. She ident ...
as Ăgata JimĂ©nez (Nairobi): an expert in counterfeiting and forgery, in charge of printing the money and oversaw the melting of gold
* Miguel HerrĂĄn
Miguel Ăngel GarcĂa de la HerrĂĄn, best known as Miguel HerrĂĄn, is a Spanish actor. In 2016, he won the Goya Award for Best New Actor for his feature film debut in ''Nothing in Return''. He gained notoriety for his performances in television ...
as AnĂbal CortĂ©s (Rio): a young hacker who later becomes Tokyo's boyfriend
* Jaime Lorente as Ricardo / Daniel Ramos (Denver): Moscow's son who joins him in the heist
* Esther Acebo as MĂłnica Gaztambide (Stockholm): one of the hostages in the Mint who is Arturo RomĂĄn's secretary and mistress, carrying his child out of wedlock; during the robbery, she falls in love with Denver and becomes an accomplice to the group
* Enrique Arce
Enrique Javier Arce Temple (born October 8, 1972) is a Spanish television and film actor.
Biography
Arce was born in Valencia, Spain on 8 October 1972. He originally went to university to study law, but during his fourth year, he decided to mo ...
as Arturo RomĂĄn
Arturo RomĂĄn is a fictional character in the Netflix series ''Money Heist'', portrayed by Enrique Arce. He is a hostage in parts 1 and 2, having been the Director of the Royal Mint of Spain, before spinning his experience into a massively succe ...
: a hostage and the former Director of the Royal Mint of Spain
The Royal Mint of Spain ( es, FĂĄbrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre â Real Casa de la Moneda, lit=National Coinage and Stamp Factory â Royal Mint, FNMT-RCM) is the national mint of Spain. The FNMT-RCM is a public corporation that is attached t ...
* MarĂa Pedraza
MarĂa Pedraza Morillo (born 26 January 1996) is a Spanish actress, dancer and model who gained international recognition for her roles in the series ''Money Heist'' and ''Elite (TV series), Elite''.
Career
Pedraza was discovered through her I ...
as Alison Parker (parts 1â2): a hostage in the Mint and daughter of the British ambassador to Spain
The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Spain is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in the Kingdom of Spain, and in charge of the UK's diplomatic mission in Spain. The official title is His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador ...
* Darko PeriÄ as Mirko Dragic (Helsinki): a veteran Serbian soldier and Oslo's cousin
* Kiti MĂĄnver
MarĂa Isabel Ana MantecĂłn Vernalte (born 11 May 1953), better known as Kiti MĂĄnver, is a Spanish actress. She has appeared in more than 100 films and television shows since 1970.
Biography
MarĂa Isabel Ana MantecĂłn Vernalte was born i ...
as MarivĂ Fuentes (parts 1â2; featured parts 3â4): Raquel's mother
* Hovik Keuchkerian
Hovik Keuchkerian (born 14 November 1972) is a Spanish actor and former boxer best known for the role of BogotĂĄ in
'' Money Heist''.
Biography
Born in Beirut, Lebanon to an ethnic Armenian father and a Spanish mother, he moved with his famil ...
as Santiago Lopez (BogotĂĄ; parts 3â5): an expert in metallurgy who joins the robbery of the Bank of Spain
The Bank of Spain ( es, link=no, Banco de España) is the central bank of Spain. Established in Madrid in 1782 by Charles III of Spain, Charles III, today the bank is a member of the European System of Central Banks and is also Spain's national ...
* Luka PeroĆĄ
Luka PeroĆĄ (born 28 October 1976) is a Croatian actor best known for the role of Marseille in '' Money Heist''.
PeroĆĄ is a polyglot and multilingual, being able to speak eight different languages. He speaks fluent English.
Early life
PeroĆĄ gr ...
as Jakov (Marseille; parts 4â5; featured part 3): a member of the gang who joins the robbery of the Bank of Spain and serves as a liaison for the group.
* Belén Cuesta
BelĂ©n Cuesta Llamas (born 24 January 1984) is a Spanish actress. She rose to prominence for her performance as MagĂŒi in comedy series ''Paquita Salas''. She won the Goya Award for Best Actress for her leading performance in drama film ''The En ...
as Julia Martinez (Manila; parts 4â5; featured part 3): godchild of Moscow and Denver's childhood friend, a trans woman
A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and so ...
, who joins the gang and poses as one of the hostages during the robbery of the Bank of Spain
* Fernando Cayo
Fernando Cayo (born 22 April 1968) is a Spanish actor.
Biography
Cayo was born on 22 April 1968 in Valladolid. He moved to Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitant ...
as Colonel Luis Tamayo (part 4â5; featured part 3): a member of the Spanish Intelligence who oversees Alicia's work on the case
* Rodrigo de la Serna
Lionel Rodrigo de la Serna (; born 18 April 1976) is an Argentine actor. He is known for playing Alberto Granado in the 2004 biopic '' The Motorcycle Diaries'' and Palermo in the Netflix series '' Money Heist''. His role in '' Money Heist'' as ...
as MartĂn Berrote (Palermo / The Engineer; parts 3â5): an old Argentine friend of Berlin who planned the robbery of the Bank of Spain with him and assumed his place as commanding officer
* Najwa Nimri
Najwa Nimri Urrutikoetxea (; born 14 February 1972) is a Spanish actress and singer.
Early life
Nimri's mother is from Pamplona and her father, Karam Nimri, is Jordanian. She has a brother named Karim Nimri, a half-brother named Andre Nimri an ...
as Alicia Sierra (parts 3â5): a pregnant inspector of the National Police Corps put in charge of the case after Raquel departed from the force
Recurring
* Roberto GarcĂa Ruiz
Roberto GarcĂa Ruiz (born 5 March 1974) is a Spanish actor best known for the role of Oslo in ''Money Heist''.
GarcĂa Ruiz is a former bodybuilder.
Selected filmography
* 2017-2020 : ''Money Heist'' (''La Casa de Papel'') (TV Series) : Dimitr ...
as Dimitri MostovĂłi / Radko DragiÄ (Oslo; parts 1â2; featured parts 3â4): a veteran Serbian soldier and Helsinki's cousin
* Fernando Soto as Ăngel Rubio (parts 1â2; featured parts 3â5): a deputy inspector and Raquel's second-in-command
* Juan FernĂĄndez as Colonel Luis Prieto (parts 1â2; featured parts 3â4): a member of the Spanish Intelligence who oversees Raquel's work on the case
* Anna Gras as Mercedes Colmenar (parts 1â2): Alison's teacher and one of the hostages in the Mint
* Fran Morcillo as Pablo Ruiz (part 1): Alison's schoolmate and one of the hostages in the Mint
* Clara Alvarado as Ariadna Cascales (parts 1â2): one of the hostages who works in the Mint and seduces Berlin
* Mario de la Rosa as SuĂĄrez: the chief of the Grupo Especial de Operaciones
The Grupo Especial de Operaciones (GEO, ; '' en, Special Group of Operations'', GEO), is the police tactical unit of Spain's National Police Corps. The GEO has response capabilities and is responsible for VIP protection duties, as well as counter ...
* Miquel GarcĂa Borda as Alberto Vicuña (parts 1â2; featured parts 4-5): Raquel's ex-husband and a forensic examiner
* Naia Guz as Paula Vicuña Murillo (parts 1â2; featured parts 3â4): Raquel and Alberto's daughter
* JosĂ© Manuel Poga as CĂ©sar GandĂa (parts 4â5; featured part 3): chief of security for the Bank of Spain who escapes from hostage and causes havoc for the group
* Antonio Romero as Benito Antoñanzas (parts 3â5): an assistant to Colonel Luis Tamayo, who is persuaded by the Professor to do tasks for him
* Diana GĂłmez
Diana GĂłmez Raich (born 7 March 1989) is a Spanish actress. She became popular for her role as Tatiana in the flashbacks of the crime drama series '' Money Heist''. She is also known for her leading role in ''Valeria''.
Biography
Born on 7 M ...
as Tatiana (featured parts 3â5): the fifth ex-wife of Berlin who is a professional pianist and thief
* Pep MunnĂ© as Mario Urbaneja (featured parts 3â5): the governor of the Bank of Spain
* Olalla HernĂĄndez as Amanda (featured parts 3â5): the Secretary to the governor of the Bank of Spain and hostage who Arturo rapes
* Mari Carmen SĂĄnchez as Paquita (featured parts 3â5): a hostage in the Bank of Spain and a nurse who tends to Nairobi while she recovers
* Carlos SuĂĄrez as Miguel FernĂĄndez (featured parts 3â5): a nervous hostage in the Bank of Spain
* Ahikar Azcona as MatĂas Caño (Pamplona; featured parts 3â5): a member of the group who largely guards the hostages in the Bank of Spain
* RamĂłn Agirre as BenjamĂn Martinez (Logroño; featured parts 4â5): father of Manila who aids the Professor in his plan
* Antonio GarcĂa Ferreras as himself (featured parts 4â5): a journalist
* José Manuel Seda as Sagasta (part 5): leader of the army detail inside the bank
* Patrick Criado
Patrick Criado de la Puerta (born 23 September 1995) is a Spanish actor. He became popular for his role in the TV series ''Ăguila Roja''. He has also performed in series such as ''Mar de plĂĄstico'', ''Unauthorized Living'' and ''Riot Police'' ...
as Rafael (featured part 5): Berlin's son and Professor's nephew
* Miguel Ăngel Silvestre
(born 6 April 1982) is a Spanish actor. He rose to prominence with his performance as El Duque in '' Sin tetas no hay paraĂso''.
He has since played roles in series such as ''Velvet'', ''Sense8'', '' Narcos'', ''30 Coins'' and ''Sky Rojo''.
...
(featured part 5): René, Tokyo's boyfriend before working with the Professor
* Alberto Amarilla as Ramiro (part 5): member of Sagasta's Special Forces
* Jennifer Miranda as Arteche (part 5): member of Sagasta's Special Forces
* Ajay Jethi as Shakir (featured parts 4â5): the lead Pakistani hacker that was hired by the Professor during the Bank of Spain robbery
Production
Conception and writing
The series was conceived by screenwriter Ălex Pina
Alejandro "Ălex" Pina Calafi (born 22 June 1967) is a Spanish television producer, writer, and director, known for the crime drama '' Money Heist''. Previous shows include '' Vis a vis'', ''El embarcadero'', and ''Los hombres de Paco''. His new ...
and director JesĂșs Colmenar during their years of collaboration since 2008.[ After finishing their work on the Spanish prison drama '' Locked Up'' (''Vis a vis''), they left Globomedia to set up their own production company, named Vancouver Media, in 2016.] For their first project, they considered either filming a comedy or developing a heist story for television, with the latter having never been attempted before on Spanish television. Along with former ''Locked Up'' colleagues, they developed ''Money Heist'' as a passion project to try new things without outside interference. Pina was firm about making it a limited series, feeling that dilution had become a problem for his previous productions.[
Initially entitled ''Los Desahuciados'' () in the conception phase,][ the series was developed to subvert heist conventions and combine elements of the ]action genre
Action fiction is a literary genre that focuses on stories that involve high-stakes, high-energy, and fast-paced events. This genre includes a wide range of sub-genres, such as spy novels, adventure stories, tales of terror and intrigue ("cloak a ...
, thrillers
Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. Suc ...
and surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
, while still being credible.[ Pina saw an advantage over typical heist films in that character development could span a considerably longer narrative arc.] Characters were to be shown from multiple sides to break the viewers' preconceptions of villainy and retain their interest throughout the show.[ Key aspects of the planned storyline were written down at the beginning,] while the finer story beats were developed incrementally to not overwhelm the writers.[ Writer Javier GĂłmez Santander compared the writing process to the Professor's way of thinking, "going around, writing down options, consulting engineers whom you cannot tell why you ask them that," but noted that fiction allowed the police to be written dumber when necessary.][
The beginning of filming was set for January 2017,][ allowing for five months of pre-production.][ The narrative was split into two parts for financial considerations.][ The robbers' city-based code names, which Spanish newspaper '']ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** DisneyâABC Television ...
'' compared to the colour-based code names in Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
's 1992 heist film ''Reservoir Dogs
''Reservoir Dogs'' is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarantino, and Edward Bunke ...
'', were chosen at random in the first part, although places with high viewership resonance were also taken into account for the new robbers' code names in part 3.[ The first five lines of the pilot script took a month to write,][ as the writers were unable to make the Professor or Moscow work as narrator.][ Ultimately, Tokyo was chosen as an ]unreliable narrator
An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose credibility is compromised. They can be found in fiction and film, and range from children to mature characters. The term was coined in 1961 by Wayne C. Booth in ''The Rhetoric of Fiction''. While unrel ...
. Flashbacks and time-jumps increased the narrative complexity[ and made the story more fluid for the audience.][ The pilot episode required over 50 script versions until the producers were satisfied.] Later scripts would be finished once per week to keep up with filming.[
]
Casting
Casting took place late in 2016, spanning more than two months.[ The characters were not fully fleshed out at the beginning of this process, and took shape based on the actors' performances.][ Casting directors Eva Leira and Yolanda Serrano were looking for actors with the ability to play empathetic robbers with believable love and family connections.] Antena 3 announced the ensemble cast in March 2017 and released audition excerpts of most cast actors in the series' aftershow ''Tercer Grado'' and on their website.[
The Professor was designed as a charismatic yet shy villain who could convince the robbers to follow him and make the audience sympathetic to the robbers' resistance against the powerful banks.] However, developing the Professor's role proved difficult, as the character did not follow archetypal conventions[ and the producers were uncertain about his degree of brilliance.][ While the producers found his Salva personality early on,][ they were originally looking for a 50-year-old ]Harvard
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
professor type with the looks of Spanish actor José Coronado
JosĂ© MarĂa Coronado GarcĂa (born 14 August 1957) is a Spanish film and television actor and former model. His performances playing (often corrupt and/or morally dubious) law enforcement officer roles have brought him some of the greatest succ ...
.[ The role was proposed to Javier GutiĂ©rrez, but he was already committed to starring in the film '' Campeones''. Meanwhile, the casting directors advocated for ]Ălvaro Morte
Ălvaro Antonio GarcĂa PĂ©rez (born 23 February 1975), known professionally as Ălvaro Morte, is a Spanish actor. He gained worldwide recognition for playing the role of ' The Professor' in the television series ''Money Heist''.
Early life
Ă ...
, whom they knew from their collaboration on the long-running Spanish soap opera ''El secreto de Puente Viejo
''El secreto de Puente Viejo'' (English: ''The Secret of Puente Viejo'') is a Spanish soap opera produced by Boomerang TV that originally aired from 23 February 2011 to 20 May 2020 on Antena 3.
Synopsis First season (Pepa, la partera)
The ...
'', even though his prime-time television experience was limited at that point. Going through the full casting process and approaching the role through external analysis rather than personal experience, Morte described the professor as "a tremendous box of surprises" that "end up shaping this character because he never ceases to generate uncertainty," making it unclear for the audience if the character is good or bad.[ The producers also found that his appearance of a primary school teacher gave the character more credibility.][
]Pedro Alonso
Pedro Gonzålez Alonso (born 21 June 1971), known as Pedro Alonso, is a Spanish actor, writer, and artist. He is best known for his role of Andrés "Berlin" de Fonollosa in the Spanish heist series ''Money Heist'' (''La casa de papel'') and fo ...
was cast to play Berlin, whom ''La Voz de Galicia
''La Voz de Galicia'' ( en, The Voice of Galicia) is a Spanish daily newspaper owned by the CorporaciĂłn Voz de Galicia. ''La Voz'' is highest circulation newspaper in Galicia and the eighth-highest circulation general-interest daily newspaper ...
'' would later characterize as a "cold, hypnotic, sophisticated and disturbing character, an inveterate macho with serious empathy problems, a white-collar thief who despises his colleagues and considers them inferior."[ The actor's portrayal of the character was inspired by a chance encounter Alonso had the day before receiving his audition script, with "an intelligent person" who was "provocative or even manipulative" to him.] Alonso saw high observation skills and an unusual understanding of his surroundings in Berlin, resulting in unconventional and unpredictable character behaviour. Similarities between Berlin and Najwa Nimri
Najwa Nimri Urrutikoetxea (; born 14 February 1972) is a Spanish actress and singer.
Early life
Nimri's mother is from Pamplona and her father, Karam Nimri, is Jordanian. She has a brother named Karim Nimri, a half-brother named Andre Nimri an ...
's character Zulema in Pina's TV series '' Locked Up'' were unintentional. The family connection between the Professor and Berlin was not in the original script, but was built into the characters' backstory at the end of part 1 after Morte and Alonso had repeatedly proposed to do so.
The producers found the protagonist and narrator, Tokyo, among the hardest characters to develop, as they were originally looking for an older actress to play the character who had nothing to lose before meeting the Professor.[ ]Ărsula CorberĂł
Ărsula CorberĂł Delgado (born 11 August 1989) is a Spanish actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Ruth GĂłmez in ''FĂsica o quĂmica'' (2008â2010), Margarita de Austria in the television series ''Isabel'' (2014) and Marta in ...
eventually landed the role for bringing a playful energy to the table; her voice was heavily factored in during casting, as she was the first voice the audience hears in the show.[ Jaime Lorente developed Denver's hallmark laughter during the casting process.][ Two cast actors had appeared in previous TV series by Ălex Pina: ]Paco Tous
Francisco MartĂnez Tous (born 1 May 1964), known professionally as Paco Tous, is a Spanish actor. He is best known for his starring roles as Paco in the television series ''Los hombres de Paco'' (2005â2010; 2021) and as AgustĂn "Moscow" Ramo ...
(Moscow) had starred in the 2005 TV series ''Los hombres de Paco
''Los hombres de Paco'' (English: ''Paco's Men'') is a Spanish television series that originally aired from 9 October 2005 to 19 May 2010 on Antena 3 (Spain), Antena 3. Created by Daniel Ăcija and Ălex Pina, it stars numerous actors; primarily ...
'', and Alba Flores
Alba GonzĂĄlez Villa (born October 27, 1986), known professionally as Alba Flores, is a Spanish actress. She is best known for her roles as Saray Vargas in '' Vis a Vis (Locked Up)'' and Nairobi in '' La Casa de Papel (Money Heist)''. She ident ...
(Nairobi) had starred in ''Locked Up''. Flores was asked to play Nairobi without audition when Pina realised late in the conception phase that the show needed another female gang member. For the role opposite to the robbers, Itziar Ituño
Itziar Ituño MartĂnez (born June 18, 1974) is a Spanish actress, who performs in her native Basque language as well as in Spanish language, Spanish. She is best known for her role as Inspector Raquel Murillo in the Spanish television series '' ...
was cast to play Inspector Raquel Murillo, whom Ituño described as a "strong and powerful woman in a world of men, but also sensitive in her private life". She took inspiration from '' The Silence of the Lambs'' character Clarice Starling
Clarice M. Starling is a fictional character and protagonist of the novels '' The Silence of the Lambs'' (1988) and '' Hannibal'' (1999) by Thomas Harris.
In the 1991 film adaptation of ''The Silence of the Lambs'', she was played by Jodie Fost ...
, an FBI student with a messy family life who develops sympathies for a criminal.
The actors learned of the show's renewal by Netflix before the producers contacted them to return. In October 2018, Netflix announced the cast of part 3; the returning main cast included Pedro Alonso, raising speculation about his role in part 3. Among the new cast members were Argentine actor Rodrigo de la Serna
Lionel Rodrigo de la Serna (; born 18 April 1976) is an Argentine actor. He is known for playing Alberto Granado in the 2004 biopic '' The Motorcycle Diaries'' and Palermo in the Netflix series '' Money Heist''. His role in '' Money Heist'' as ...
, who saw a possible connection between his character's name and the Argentine football legend MartĂn Palermo
MartĂn Palermo (; born 7 November 1973) is an Argentine football manager and former player who played as a striker. He is the current manager of Platense.
Palermo played for Boca Juniors and the Argentina national team. A prolific goalscorer ...
, and ''Locked Up'' star Najwa Nimri. Cameo scenes of Brazilian football star, and fan of the series, Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos JĂșnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Sain ...
, as a monk were filmed for part 3, but were excluded from the stream without repercussions to the narrative until judicial charges against him had been dropped in late August 2019.[ A small appearance by Spanish actress ]Belén Cuesta
BelĂ©n Cuesta Llamas (born 24 January 1984) is a Spanish actress. She rose to prominence for her performance as MagĂŒi in comedy series ''Paquita Salas''. She won the Goya Award for Best Actress for her leading performance in drama film ''The En ...
in two episodes of part 3 raised fan and media speculation about her role in part 4.
Design
The show's look and atmosphere were developed by creator Ălex Pina, director JesĂșs Colmenar, and director of photography Migue Amoedo, according to ''La Vanguardia
' (; , Spanish for "The Vanguard") is a Spanish daily newspaper, founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan (Spanish copy is automatically translated into Catalan). It has its headquarters in Barcelona and i ...
'' "the most prolific television trio in recent years". Abdón Alcañiz served as art director.[ Their collaboration projects usually take a primary colour as a basis;] ''Money Heist'' had red as "one of the distinguishing features of the series"[ that stood over the gray sets.][ Blue, green and yellow were marked as a forbidden colour in production design.] To achieve "absolute film quality", red tones were tested with different types of fabrics, textures and lighting.[ The iconography of the robbers' red jumpsuits mirrored the yellow prison dress code in ''Locked Up''.] For part 3, the Italian retail clothing company Diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
modified the red jumpsuits to better fit the body and launched a clothing line inspired by the series.[ ]Salvador DalĂ
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto DalĂ i DomĂšnech, Marquess of DalĂ of PĂșbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...
was chosen as the robbers' mask design because of DalĂ's recognisable visage that also serves as an iconic cultural reference to Spain; Don Quixote
is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...
as an alternative mask design was discarded. This choice sparked criticism by the Gala-Salvador DalĂ Foundation
The Gala-Salvador DalĂ Foundation is a private cultural institution founded by the painter Salvador DalĂ with the mission of promoting his artistic, cultural and intellectual ''Ćuvre''. (The foundation is also named after his wife, Gala DalĂ.)
...
for not requesting the necessary permissions.[
To make the plot more realistic, the producers requested and received advice from the national police and the Spanish Ministry of Interior.][ The robbers' banknotes were printed with permission of the ]Bank of Spain
The Bank of Spain ( es, link=no, Banco de España) is the central bank of Spain. Established in Madrid in 1782 by Charles III of Spain, Charles III, today the bank is a member of the European System of Central Banks and is also Spain's national ...
and had an increased size as an anti-counterfeit measure. The greater financial backing of Netflix for part 3 allowed for the build of over 50 sets across five basic filming locations world-wide.[ Preparing a remote and uninhabited island in Panama to represent a robber hide-out proved difficult, as it needed to be cleaned, secured and built on, and involved hours-long travelling with material transportation.][ The real Bank of Spain was unavailable for visiting and filming for security reasons, so the producers recreated the Bank on a two-level stage by their own imagining, taking inspiration from Spanish architecture of the ]Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 â 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
era.[ Publicly available information was used to make the Bank's main hall set similar to the real location. The other interior sets were inspired by different periods and artificially aged to accentuate the building's history.][ ]Bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12â12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
and granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
sculptures and motifs from the Valle de los CaĂdos
The Valley of the Fallen (Spanish: Valle de los CaĂdos; ) is a Catholic basilica and a monumental memorial in the municipality of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, erected at Cuelgamuros Valley in the Sierra de Guadarrama, near Madrid. Dictator Fran ...
were recreated for the interior, and over 50 paintings were painted for the Bank to emulate the Ateneo de Madrid
The Ateneo de Madrid ("AthenĂŠum of Madrid") is a private cultural institution located in the capital of Spain that was founded in 1835. Its full name is ''Ateneo CientĂfico, Literario y ArtĂstico de Madrid'' ("Scientific, Literary and Artistic ...
.
Filming
Parts 1 and 2 were filmed back-to-back in the greater Madrid region
The Community of Madrid (; es, Comunidad de Madrid ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, and of the Central Plateau (''Meseta Central''). Its capital and largest munici ...
from January until August 2017. The pilot episode was recorded in 26 days,[ while all other episodes had around 14 filming days.][ Production was split into two units to save time, with one unit shooting scenes involving the Professor and the police, and the other filming scenes with the robbers.][ The main storyline is set in the ]Royal Mint of Spain
The Royal Mint of Spain ( es, FĂĄbrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre â Real Casa de la Moneda, lit=National Coinage and Stamp Factory â Royal Mint, FNMT-RCM) is the national mint of Spain. The FNMT-RCM is a public corporation that is attached t ...
in Madrid, but the exterior scenes were filmed at the Spanish National Research Council
The Spanish National Research Council ( es, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientĂficas, CSIC) is the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain and the third largest in Europe. Its main objective is to develop and promote res ...
(CSIC) headquarters for its passing resemblance to the Mint,[ and on the roof of the Higher Technical School of Aeronautical Engineers, part of the ]Technical University of Madrid
The Technical University of Madrid or sometimes called Polytechnic University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, UPM) is a public university, located in Madrid, Spain. It was founded in 1971 as the result of merging different Te ...
.[ The hunting estate where the robbers plan their coup was filmed at the Finca El Gasco farm estate in ]Torrelodones
Torrelodones is a municipality in the northwest of the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Spain. It is situated 29 kilometers northwest from the city of Madrid. Because of its location between the Sierra de Guadarrama and the metropolitan area of the ...
.[ Interior filming took place at the former '' Locked Up'' sets in ]Colmenar Viejo
Colmenar Viejo is a town and municipality of about 48,614 inhabitants, located in the Community of Madrid, Spain, 30 kilometers north of Madrid on the M-607 motorway. It belongs to the comarca of Cuenca Alta del Manzanares.
Main sights
In the ...
[ and at the Spanish national daily newspaper '']ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** DisneyâABC Television ...
'' in TorrejĂłn de Ardoz
TorrejĂłn de Ardoz () is a municipality of Spain belonging to the Community of Madrid.
The European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen), an agency of the European Union, is located in TorrejĂłn de Ardoz. It is also the location of the headquarters of ...
for printing press scenes. As the show was designed as a limited series, all sets were destroyed once production of part 2 had finished.[
Parts 3 and 4 were also filmed back-to-back,][ with 21 to 23 filming days per episode.][ Netflix announced the start of filming on 25 October 2018,][ and filming of part 4 ended in August 2019.][ In 2018, Netflix had opened their first European production hub in ]Tres Cantos
Tres Cantos is a municipality of Spain located in Community of Madrid.
Originally belonging to Colmenar Viejo, it seceded from the latter municipality in 1991, becoming the youngest municipality in the region. The urbanised area was conceived as a ...
near Madrid for new and existing Netflix productions; main filming moved there onto a set three times the size of the set used for parts 1 and 2.[ The main storyline is set in the ]Bank of Spain
The Bank of Spain ( es, link=no, Banco de España) is the central bank of Spain. Established in Madrid in 1782 by Charles III of Spain, Charles III, today the bank is a member of the European System of Central Banks and is also Spain's national ...
in Madrid, but the exterior was filmed at the Ministry of Development complex Nuevos Ministerios
Nuevos Ministerios () is a government complex in central Madrid, Spain. The complex houses several government departments: Development, Labour, Social Security, and Ecological Transition. It is located in the block delimited by the Paseo de la ...
. A scene where money is dropped from the sky was filmed at Callao Square
The Callao Square ( es, plaza del Callao) is located at the centre of the Spanish capital of Madrid.
History and description
Shaped in 1861, the square was formally opened in June 1866; its name remembers the May 1866 battle of Callao between t ...
.[ Ermita de San Frutos in Carrascal del RĂo served as the exterior of the Italian monastery where the robbers plan the heist.][ The motorhome scenes of the Professor and Lisbon were filmed at the deserted Las Salinas beaches in ]AlmerĂa
AlmerĂa (, , ) is a city and municipality of Spain, located in Andalusia. It is the capital of the province of the same name. It lies on southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. Caliph Abd al-Rahman III founded the city in 955. The city gr ...
to make the audience feel that the characters are safe from the police although their exact location is undisclosed at first.[ Underwater scenes inside the vault were filmed at ]Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London.
The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to te ...
in the United Kingdom.[ The beginning of part 3 was also filmed in Thailand, on the ]Guna Yala
Guna Yala, formerly known as San Blas, is a ''comarca indĂgena'' (indigenous province) in northeast Panama. Guna Yala is home to the indigenous people known as the Gunas. Its capital is Gaigirgordub. It is bounded on the north by the Cari ...
islands in Panama, and in Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, Italy,[ which helped to counter the claustrophobic feeling of the first two parts,][ but was also an expression of the plot's global repercussions.][ Filming for the fifth and final season concluded on 14 May 2021.
]
Music
The series' theme song, "My Life Is Going On
"My Life Is Going On" is a song performed by Cecilia Krull. The song is the theme song of the Netflix Spanish TV series '' Money Heist'' (known in Spanish as ''La Casa de Papel''), included on the album ''La Casa de Papel / Money Heist â The Soun ...
," was composed by Manel Santisteban, who also served as composer on ''Locked Up''. Santisteban approached Spanish singer, Cecilia Krull
Cecilia Krull (born 29 June 1986) is a Spanish singer best known as the singer of "Something's Triggered", the theme song of ''Three Steps Above Heaven'', and " My Life Is Going On", the main theme song of '' Money Heist''.
Biography
Born to a ...
, to write and perform the lyrics, which are about having confidence in one's abilities and the future. The theme song is played behind a title sequence featuring paper models of major settings from the series.[ Krull's main source of inspiration was the character Tokyo in the first episode of the series, when the Professor offers her a way out of a desperate moment.][ The lyrics are in English as the language that came naturally to Krull at the time of writing.]
The Italian anti-fascist
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...
song " Bella ciao" plays multiple times throughout the series and accompanies two emblematic key scenes: at the end of the first part the Professor and Berlin sing it in preparation for the heist, embracing themselves as resistance against the establishment, and in the second part it plays during the thieves' escape from the Mint, as a metaphor for freedom. Regarding the use of the song, Tokyo recounts in one of her narrations, "The life of the Professor revolved around a single idea: Resistance. His grandfather, who had fought against the fascists in Italy, taught him the song, and he taught us." The song was brought to the show by writer Javier GĂłmez Santander. He had listened to "Bella ciao" at home to cheer him up, as he had grown frustrated for not finding a suitable song for the middle of part 1.[ He was aware of the song's meaning and history and felt it represented positive values.][ "Bella ciao" became a summer hit in Europe in 2018, mostly due to the popularity of the series and not the song's grave themes.][
]
Episodes
Season 1: Parts 1 and 2 (2017)
Part 1 begins with the aftermath of a failed bank robbery by a woman using the alias "Tokyo" as a man called the "Professor" saves her from being caught by the police. He proposes to include her in a heist of massive proportions. After a brief outline of the plan, the story jumps to the beginning of a multi-day assault on the Royal Mint of Spain
The Royal Mint of Spain ( es, FĂĄbrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre â Real Casa de la Moneda, lit=National Coinage and Stamp Factory â Royal Mint, FNMT-RCM) is the national mint of Spain. The FNMT-RCM is a public corporation that is attached t ...
in Madrid. The eight robbers are code-named for cities: Tokyo, Moscow, Berlin, Nairobi, Rio, Denver, Helsinki, and Oslo. Dressed in red jumpsuits and masks depicting artist Salvador DalĂ
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto DalĂ i DomĂšnech, Marquess of DalĂ of PĂșbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...
, the robbers take 67 hostages as part of their plan to print and escape with âŹ2.4 billion through a self-built escape tunnel. The Professor heads the heist from an external location. Flashbacks throughout the series show the five months of preparation at an abandoned hunting estate in the Toledo countryside; the robbers are not to share personal information nor engage in personal relationships, and are warned that there will be casualties.
Throughout parts 1 and 2, the robbers inside the Mint have difficulties sticking to their roles and face uncooperative hostages, violence, isolation, and mutiny. Tokyo narrates events through voice-over
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voiceâthat is not part of the narrative (non-Diegetic#Film sound and music, diegetic)âis used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, th ...
s. While Denver pursues a love affair with hostage MĂłnica Gaztambide, inspector Raquel Murillo of the National Police Corps
The National Police Corps ( es, Cuerpo Nacional de PolicĂa, link=no, CNP; ; also known simply as National Police, ) is the national civilian police, police force of Spain. The CNP is mainly responsible for policing urban areas, whilst rural ...
negotiates with the Professor on the outside and begins an intimate relationship with his alter ego "Salva." The Professor's identity is repeatedly close to being uncovered and Raquel eventually realizes Salva is the Professor, but she is emotionally unable to hand him over to the police. At the end of part 2, after 128 hours, the robbers escape from the Mint with âŹ984 million, but Oslo, Moscow and Berlin are killed. One year after the heist, Raquel finds a series of postcards left by the Professor, who wrote the coordinates for a location in Palawan
Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in ...
in the Philippines, where she reunites with him.
Season 2: Parts 3 and 4 (2019â2020)
Part 3 begins three years after the heist on the Royal Mint of Spain, showing the robbers enjoying their lives paired-up in diverse locations. However, when Europol captures Rio with an intercepted phone, the Professor picks up Berlin's old plans to assault the Bank of Spain
The Bank of Spain ( es, link=no, Banco de España) is the central bank of Spain. Established in Madrid in 1782 by Charles III of Spain, Charles III, today the bank is a member of the European System of Central Banks and is also Spain's national ...
to force Europol to hand over Rio to prevent his torture. He and Raquel (going by "Lisbon") get the gang, including MĂłnica (going by "Stockholm"), back together, and enlist three new members: Palermo, BogotĂĄ and Marseille, with Palermo in charge. Flashbacks to the Professor and Berlin outline the planned new heist and their different approaches to love. The disguised robbers sneak into the heavily guarded bank, take hostages and eventually gain access to the gold and state secrets. At the same time, the Professor and Lisbon travel in an RV and then an ambulance while communicating with the robbers and the police. The robbers thwart a police breach of the bank, forcing the police, led by Colonel Luis Tamayo and pregnant inspector Alicia Sierra, to release Rio to the robbers. Nairobi is injured by a police sniper
A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
's shot to the chest. With another police assault on the bank coming, and believing Lisbon has been executed by the police, the Professor radios Palermo and declares DEFCON 2. The robbers respond by firing a rocket at the armored police vehicle that is advancing on the bank, turning the robbers from folk heroes to killers in the eyes of the public. Part 3 concludes by showing Lisbon alive and in custody, and Tokyo narrating that the Professor had fallen for a trap. She concludes that because of the Professor's miscalculation, "the war had begun."
Part 4 begins with the robbers rushing to save Nairobi's life. While Tokyo stages a coup d'Ă©tat and takes over command from Palermo, the Professor and Marseille deduce that Lisbon must still be alive and being interrogated by Sierra in the police command post tent outside the bank. They persuade Tamayo's assistant, Antoñanzas, to help them so the Professor can establish a 48-hour truce with the police. As the group manages to save Nairobi's life, the restrained Palermo attempts to reassert command by colluding with GandĂa, the restrained chief of security for the Bank of Spain. GandĂa escapes, begins communications with the police from within a panic room
''Panic Room'' is a 2002 American thriller film directed by David Fincher. The film stars Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart as a mother and daughter whose new home is invaded by burglars, played by Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoaka ...
inside the bank, and participates in a violent cat-and-mouse game with the gang. Palermo reverses course, regains the trust of the group, and rejoins them. GandĂa shoots Nairobi in the head, killing her instantly, but the gang later recapture him. As the police prepare another assault on the bank, the Professor exposes to the public the unlawful torture of Rio and Lisbon's detention and interrogation. Sierra is fired and begins pursuing the Professor on her own. The Professor enlists external help to free Lisbon after she is transferred from the command post tent to the Supreme Court building. Part 4 concludes with Lisbon rejoining the gang inside the bank, and with Sierra finding the Professor's hideout, then holding him at gunpoint.
Season 3: Part 5 Volumes 1 and 2 (2021)
Part 5 Volume 1 begins with Sierra finding the Professor and knocking him out, then tying him up and interrogating him. After Lisbon enters the bank, the gang prepares for an attack by troops of the Spanish army
The Spanish Army ( es, EjĂ©rcito de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies â dating back to the late 15th century.
The ...
. The gang captures Gandia, then frees him rather than killing him. Gandia wants to exact revenge on the gang, so Tamayo has him join the assault by the soldiers. After finding out the Professor has been caught but that Sierra has not notified the police, Lisbon tells the gang they will not give up. Benjamin and Marseille find the Professor, and Sierra knocks them out and ties them up. When Sierra struggles to deliver her baby, she frees the Professor, Marseille, and Benjamin so they can help. Sierra gives birth to a daughter, whom she names Victoria. Arturo Roman, a hostage in both the Royal Mint and the Bank of Spain, had an affair with Stockholm before the first heist, and Arturo's reminders anger Denver. When Arturo, the governor of the bank, and other hostages start a rebellion, Stockholm shoots Arturo, who is released so he can receive medical care. In a flashback, Berlin convinces his son Rafael to help him steal 12 kilograms of gold with Tatiana, Bogota, and Marseille. In the present, the gang starts fighting the soldiers, with Helsinki sustaining a severe injury. Stockholm feels guilt over shooting Arturo, who is her son's birth father, and takes morphine while nursing Helsinki, which leaves her unable to aid in the gang's defense against the attacking soldiers. Part 5 Volume 1 concludes with Tokyo sacrificing herself to defeat Gandia and the soldiers.
In Part 5 Volume 2, Sierra runs away and the Professor and Marseille chase after her. Initially enemies, the Professor and Sierra soon become allies as they face their common enemy â the police. When they go back to the stormwater tank, they see the gold has already been delivered to them by the gang. However, the police find the stormwater tank and arrests the Professor, Sierra, Benjamin and Marseille. They escape, but find the gold missing. It is revealed that the gold is stolen by Rafael and Tatiana because she broke up with Berlin in the past to be with Rafael. In the present, Tatiana and Rafael bury the gold. Palermo and the Professor discover that it is their doing, but at this time, the army captured the gang. The Professor gives Sierra a note for Rafael, and convinces her to find the gold as that is their only hope while he drives to the bank. When he enters the bank, Tamayo taunts him and interrogates each gang member separately. Denver goes first, but does not reveal anything and is escorted to the police tent. The gang reveals to the public the gold has already been removed from the bank, leading to public panic and an economic meltdown, putting Spain in danger of bankruptcy. Sierra is able to locate the stolen gold. Outside the bank, the gold has arrived in trucks, but the Professor says it is gold-coated brass
Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...
. The gang members are killed on Tamayo's orders, shocking Denver in the tent. They are taken out of the bank in body bags, and it is revealed they are alive as the Professor convinced Tamayo to stop the chase; the return of the "gold" has stabilized the country's economy. 24 hours after the heist, the gang reunite at an air base. Everyone receives new passports as Rafael and Tatiana return the gold to the gang with a promise that they will receive a share. The gang leaves the air base, having successfully robbed the Bank of Spain.
Music
Themes and analysis
The series was noted for its subversions of the heist genre
The heist film or caper film is a subgenre of crime film focused on the planning, execution, and aftermath of a significant robbery.
One of the early defining heist films was ''The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950), which ''Film Genre 2000'' wrote "alm ...
. While heist films are usually told with a rational male Anglo-centric focus, the series reframes the heist story by giving it a strong Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
identity and telling it from a female perspective through Tokyo. The producers regarded the cultural identity as an important part of the personality of the series, as it made the story more relatable for viewers. They also avoided adapting the series to international tastes,[ which helped to set it apart from the usual American TV series][ and raised international awareness of Spanish sensibilities.][ Emotional dynamics like the passion and impulsivity of friendship and love offset the perfect strategic crime for increased tension.][ Nearly all main characters, including the relationship-opposing Professor, eventually succumb to love,] for which the series received comparisons to telenovela
A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...
s.[ Comedic elements, which were compared to '']Back to the Future
''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985, ...
'' and black comedy
Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...
,[ also offset the heist tension.][ The heist film formula is subverted by the heist starting straight after the opening credits instead of lingering on how the gang is brought together.]
With the series being set after the financial crisis of 2007â2008
Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fi ...
, which resulted in severe austerity measures in Spain,[ critics argued that the series was an explicit allegory of rebellion against capitalism,] including ''The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'', who saw the series as "subversive in that it's about a heist for the people. It's revenge against a government." According to ''Le Monde
''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
'', the Professor's teaching scenes in the Toledo hunting estate, in particular, highlighted how people should seek to develop their own solutions for the fallible capitalist system.[ The show's ]Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
analogy of robbing the rich and giving to the poor received various interpretations. ''El Español
''El Español'' is a Spanish online newspaper which started in 2015. It has its headquarters in Avenida de Burgos, 16D, 7Âș, Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid.
History
In 2014 Pedro J. RamĂrez was dismissed as the director from the newspaper '' El M ...
'' argued that the analogy made it easier for viewers to connect with the show, as modern society tended to be tired of banks and politics already, and the ''New Statesman
The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
'' said the rich were no longer stolen from but undermined at their roots.[ On the other hand, ''Esquire'''s Mireia Mullor saw the Robin Hood analogy as a mere distraction strategy for the robbers, as they initially did not plan to use the money from their first heist to improve the quality of life of regular people; for this reason, Mullor also argues that the large following for the robbers in part 3 was not understandable even though they represented a channel for the discontent of those bearing economic and political injustices.]
The characters were designed as multi-dimensional and complementary antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek áŒÎœÏαγÏÎœÎčÏÏÎźÏ â ''antagonistÄs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
s and antihero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
es whose moralities are ever-changing.[ Examples include Berlin, who shifts from a robber mistreating hostages, to one of the series' most beloved characters.][ There is also the hostage MĂłnica Gaztambide, as well as inspector Raquel Murillo, who eventually join the cause of the robbers.][ GonzĂĄlvez of '']The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' finds that an audience may think of the robbers as evil at first for committing a crime, but as the series progresses it marks the financial system as the true evil and suggests the robbers have ethical and empathetic justification for stealing from an overpowered thief. Najwa Nimri, playing inspector Sierra in part 3, said that "the complex thing about a villain is giving him humanity. That's where everyone gets alarmed when you have to prove that a villain also has a heart". She added that the amount of information and technology that surrounds us is allowing us to verify that "everyone has a dark side."[ The series leaves it to the audience to decide who is good or bad, as characters are "relatable and immoral" at various points in the story.][ Pina argued that it was this ability to change the view that made the series addictive and marked its success.][
With the relative number of female main characters in TV shows generally on the rise,][ the series gives female characters the same attention as men, which the ]BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
regarded as an innovation for Spanish television.[ While many plot lines in the heist series still relate to males,][ the female characters become increasingly aware of gender-related issues, such as MĂłnica arguing in part 3 that women, just like men, could be robbers and a good parent.] Critics further examined feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
themes and a rejection of machismo
Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1930s and 1940s best defined as hav ...
[ in the series through Nairobi and her phrase "The ]matriarchy
Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property.
While those definitions apply in general E ...
begins" in part 2,[ and a comparative scene in part 3, where Palermo claims a ]patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...
in a moment that, according to CNET
''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
, is played for laughs. ''La Vanguardia
' (; , Spanish for "The Vanguard") is a Spanish daily newspaper, founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan (Spanish copy is automatically translated into Catalan). It has its headquarters in Barcelona and i ...
'' challenged any female-empowering claims in the series, as Ărsula CorberĂł (Tokyo) was often shown scantily clad, and ''Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title.
In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'' criticized how characters' relationship problems in part 3 were often portrayed to be the women's fault.[ Alba Flores (Nairobi) saw no inherent feminist plot in the series, as women only take control when it suits the story,] whilst Esther Acebo (MĂłnica) described any feminist subtext in the show as not being vindicative.
Broadcast and release
Original broadcast
Part 1 aired on free-to-air Spanish TV channel Antena 3 in the Wednesday 10:40 p.m. time slot from 2 May 2017 till 27 June 2017.[ Part 2 moved to the Monday 10:40 p.m. time slot and was broadcast from 16 October 2017 till 23 November 2017,] with the originally planned 18 to 21 episodes cut down to 15. As the series was developed with Spanish prime-time television in mind,[ the episodes had a length of around 70 minutes, as is typical for Spanish television.][ The first five episodes of part 1 were followed by an ]aftershow
An aftershow or after-show is a genre of television talk show whose topic is another television program. An aftershow is typically broadcast immediately after a new episode of its corresponding program to help retain the audience, and to provide ad ...
entitled ''Tercer Grado'' ().[
Despite boycott calls after ]Itziar Ituño
Itziar Ituño MartĂnez (born June 18, 1974) is a Spanish actress, who performs in her native Basque language as well as in Spanish language, Spanish. She is best known for her role as Inspector Raquel Murillo in the Spanish television series '' ...
(Raquel Murillo) had protested against the accommodations of ETA
Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ጊÏα ''ÄÌta'' or ell, ÎźÏα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...
prisoners of her home Basque Country in March 2016, the show had the best premiere of a Spanish series since April 2015,[ with more than four million viewers and the majority share of viewers in its timeslot, almost double the number of the next highest-viewed station/show.] The show received good reviews and remained a leader in the commercial target group for the first half of part 1, but the viewership eventually slipped to lower figures than expected by the Antena 3 executives.[ Argentine newspaper '']La NaciĂłn
''La NaciĂłn'' () is an Argentine daily newspaper. As the country's leading conservative newspaper, ''La NaciĂłn''s main competitor is the more liberal '' ClarĂn''. It is regarded as a newspaper of record for Argentina.
Its motto is: "''La Nac ...
'' attributed the decrease in viewer numbers to the change in time slots, the late broadcast times and the summer break between the parts.[ Pina saw the commercial breaks as responsible, as they disrupted the narrative flow of the series that otherwise played almost in real time, even though the breaks were factored in during writing.][ '']La Vanguardia
' (; , Spanish for "The Vanguard") is a Spanish daily newspaper, founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan (Spanish copy is automatically translated into Catalan). It has its headquarters in Barcelona and i ...
'' saw the interest waning only among the conventional audience, as the plot unfolded too slowly at the rate of one episode per week.[ Writer Javier GĂłmez Santander regarded the series' run on Antena 3 as a "failure" in 2019, as the ratings declined to "nothing special", but commended Antena 3 for making a series that did not rely on typical stand-alone episodes.]
Netflix acquisition
Part 1 was made available on Netflix Spain on 1 July 2017, like other series belonging to Antena 3's parent media group Atresmedia
Atresmedia CorporaciĂłn de Medios de ComunicaciĂłn, S.A., previously Grupo Antena 3, is a Spanish media group, present in the television, radio and filmmaking industries. Significant shareholders include Grupo Planeta and Bertelsmann.
On 6 Marc ...
. In December 2017, Netflix acquired the exclusive global streaming rights for the series.[ Netflix re-cut the series into 22 episodes of around 50 minutes' length.][ Cliffhangers and scenes had to be divided and moved to other episodes, but this proved less drastic than expected because of the series' perpetual plot twists.][ Netflix dubbed the series and renamed it from ''La casa de papel'' to ''Money Heist'' for distribution in the English-speaking world,][ releasing the first part on 20 December 2017 without any promotion.][ The second part was made available for streaming on 6 April 2018.][ Pina assessed the viewer experience on Antena 3 versus Netflix as "very different", although the essence of the series remained the same.]
Without a dedicated Netflix marketing campaign,[ the series became the most-watched non-English language series on Netflix in early 2018, within four months of being added to the platform, to the creators' surprise.][ This prompted Netflix to sign a global exclusive overall deal with Pina shortly afterwards. Diego Ăvalos, director of original content for Netflix in Europe, noted that the series was atypical in being watched across many different profile groups. Common explanations for the drastic differences in viewership between Antena 3 and Netflix were changed consumption habits of series viewers][ and the ]binge-watching
Binge-watching (also called binge-viewing) is the practice of watching entertainment or informational content for a prolonged time span, usually a single television show.
Statistics
Binge-watching overlaps with marathon viewing which places mo ...
potential of streaming.[ Some people in Spain also only became aware of the series from Netflix, unaware of its original Antena 3 broadcast.] Pina and Sonia MartĂnez of Antena 3 would also later say that the series, with its high demand of viewer attention, unknowingly followed the video-on-demand format from the beginning.[
]
Renewal
In October 2017, Ălex Pina said that part 2 had remote but intentional spin-off possibilities, and that his team was open to continue the robbers' story in the form of movies or a Netflix renewal. Following the show's success on the streaming platform, Netflix approached Pina and Atresmedia to produce new chapters for the originally self-contained story. The writers withdrew themselves for more than two months to decide on a direction,[ creating a ]bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
with central ideas for new episodes in the process.[ The crucial factors in accepting Netflix's deal were the creators recognising that characters still had things to say, and having the opportunity to deviate from the perfectly orchestrated heist of the first two parts.][ Adamant that the story should be set in Spain again,][ the producers wanted to make it a sequel rather than a direct continuation, and expand on the familiarity and affection between the characters instead of the former group of strangers.][ Rio's capture was chosen as the catalyst to get the gang back together because he as the narrator's boyfriend represented the necessary emotional factor for the renewal not to be "suicide."]
Netflix officially renewed the series for the third part with a considerably increased budget on 18 April 2018,[ which might make part 3 the most expensive series per episode in Spanish television history, according to '']Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''.[ As writing was in progress, Pina stated in July 2018 that he appreciated Netflix's decision to make the episodes 45 to 50 minutes of length, as the narrative could be more compressed and international viewers would have more freedom to consume the story in smaller parts.][ With Netflix's new push to improve the quality and appeal of its English-language versions of foreign shows, and over 70 percent of viewers in the United States choosing dubs over subtitles for the series, Netflix hired a new dubbing crew for part 3 and re-dubbed the first two parts accordingly.] Part 3, consisting of eight episodes, was released on 19 July 2019; the first two episodes of part 3 also had a limited theatrical release in Spain one day before.
In August 2019, Netflix announced that part 3 was streamed by 34 million household accounts within its first week of release, of which 24 million finished the series within this period, thereby making it one of the most-watched productions on Netflix of all time, regardless of language. The viewership of part 3 increased, when Netflix reported that part 3 was viewed 44 million households during its first month and became the most popular show on Netflix during the third quarter. Netflix had an estimated 148 million subscribers world-wide in mid-2019. In October 2019, Netflix ranked ''Money Heist'' as their third-most-watched TV series for the past twelve months, and named it as the most-watched series across several European markets in 2019, including France, Spain and Italy, though not the UK. Twitter ranked the show fourth in its "Top TV shows worldwide" of 2019.
Filming of an initially unannounced fourth part of eight episodes ended in August 2019. Ălex Pina and writer Javier GĂłmez Santander stated that unlike part 3, where the intention was to re-attract the audience with high-energy drama after the move to Netflix, the story of part 4 would unfold slower and be more character-driven. At another occasion, Pina and executive producer Esther MartĂnez Lobato teased part 4 as the "most traumatic art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
of all" because "this much tension has to explode somewhere".[ Alba Flores (Nairobi) said the scriptwriters had previously made many concessions to fans in part 3, but would go against audience wishes in part 4 and that "anyone who loves Nairobi will suffer".][ According to Pedro Alonso (Berlin), the focus of part 4 would be on saving Nairobi's life and standing by each other to survive.] Part 4 was released on 3 April 2020; a documentary involving the producers and the cast premiered on Netflix the same day, titled ''Money Heist: The Phenomenon''. Part 4 broke numerous viewership records for a non-English Netflix series, attracting 65 million of households during its first four weeks, and went to become the most watched non-English series at the time.
In October 2019, the online editions of Spanish newspaper's ''ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** DisneyâABC Television ...
'' and ''La Vanguardia
' (; , Spanish for "The Vanguard") is a Spanish daily newspaper, founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan (Spanish copy is automatically translated into Catalan). It has its headquarters in Barcelona and i ...
'' re-reported claims by the Spanish website formulatv.com that Netflix had renewed the series for a fifth part, and that pre-production had already begun. In November 2019, ''La Vanguardia'' quoted director JesĂșs Colmenar's statement "That there is going to be a fifth art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
can be said", and that the new part would be filmed after Vancouver Media's new project ''Sky Rojo
''Sky Rojo'' () is a Spanish black comedy action drama television series, created by Ălex Pina and Esther MartĂnez Lobato. The series traces three prostitutes who flee from their pimp. According to the creators, the series shows "the impunity ...
''. Colmenar also stated that there have been discussions with Netflix about creating a spin-off of the series,[ as well as Pina. In an interview in December 2019, Pina and MartĂnez Lobato would not discuss the possibility of a fifth part because of confidentiality contracts, and only said that "Someone knows there will be part 5 but we don't."] On 31 July 2020, Netflix renewed the show for a fifth and final part. On 24 May 2021, it was announced that the fifth part of the show would be released in two five-episode volumes on 3 September and 3 December, respectively. Similar to ''Money Heist: The Phenomenon'', a two-part documentary involving the producers and cast premiered on Netflix the same day, titled ''Money Heist: From Tokyo to Berlin''.
Future
South Korean adaptation
In November 2020, Netflix announced that it will create a South Korean adaptation of the show. The 12-part production, titled ''Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area'', will be a collaboration between BH Entertainment and Contents Zium, with Kim Hong-sun set to direct. Production of the adaptation had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
The COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case in South Korea was announced on 20 January 2020. The numbe ...
.
On 29 April 2022, Netflix revealed that ''Money Heist: Korea â Joint Economic Area: Part 1'' would be released on 24 June 2022 and ''Part 2'' would be released on 9 December 2022.
Spin-off series
In November 2021, Netflix announced that it will create a spin-off series titled ''Berlin'', which is set to be released in 2023. The series is created by Ălex Pina and Esther MartĂnez Lobato, who "loved the idea of introducing a new gang around Berlin in a completely different emotional state". The first season will consist of eight episodes, to be written by Pina, Lobato, David Oliva and David Berrocal. Albert PintĂł, Barrocal and Geoffrey Cowper will serve as directors. Filming began in Paris on October 3, 2022 and will continue for several weeks in Madrid.
The announced cast includes:
* Pedro Alonso
Pedro Gonzålez Alonso (born 21 June 1971), known as Pedro Alonso, is a Spanish actor, writer, and artist. He is best known for his role of Andrés "Berlin" de Fonollosa in the Spanish heist series ''Money Heist'' (''La casa de papel'') and fo ...
as Andrés de Fonollosa (Berlin), reprising his ''Money Heist'' role of a hedonistic, intelligent jewel thief
* Michelle Jenner
Michelle Jenner Husson (born 14 September 1986) is a Spanish actress. She has starred in several films.
Biography
Michelle Jenner Husson was born on 14 September 1986 in Barcelona, Spain. She is the daughter of Miguel Ăngel Jenner, a Spanish ...
as Keila, an electronics specialist
* TristĂĄn Ulloa
TristĂĄn Ulloa (born 6 May 1970) is a Spanish actor, writer, and director.
Career
He was born in Orléans and lived with his Spanish grandparents exiled in France. He spent his teenage years in Vigo, Galicia. His mother, Esther San Romån, lives ...
as DamiĂĄn, aphilanthropic professor and Berlinâs confidant
* Begoña Vargas as Cameron
* Julio Peña Fernåndez
Julio Pena Fernåndez (born July 15, 2000) is a Spanish actor and singer who is known for his role as Manuel Gutiérrez Quemola in the Disney Channel original series '' Bia'' and Ares Hidalgo in the Netflix movie '' Through My Window'', based on ...
as Roi
* Joel SĂĄnchez as Bruce, a relentless man of action
Reception
Public response
After the move to Netflix, the series remained the most-followed series on Netflix for six consecutive weeks and became one of the most popular series on IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online â including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
.[ It regularly trended on Twitter world-wide, largely because celebrities commented on it, such as football players ]Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos JĂșnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Sain ...
and Marc Bartra
Marc Bartra Aregall (, ; born 15 January 1991) is a Spanish professional association football, footballer who plays as a centre-back for SĂŒper Lig club Trabzonspor and the Catalonia national football team, Catalonia national team.
He started h ...
, American singer Romeo Santos
Anthony "Romeo" Santos (born July 21, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor who is best known as the frontman and lead vocalist of the bachata group Aventura. In 2002, the song " ObsesiĂłn" reached number one in It ...
,[ and author ]Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
.[ While users flooded social networks with media of themselves wearing the robbers' outfit,][ the robbers' costumes were worn at the ]Rio Carnival
)
, image = File:Desfile Portela 2014 (906185).jpg
, caption = A float at Rio Carnival, 2014
, celebrations = Parades, parties, open-air performances
, longtype = cultural, religious
, type = christian
, signi ...
, and Dalà icons were shown on huge banners in Saudi Arabia football stadiums.[ Real footage of these events would later be shown in part 3 as a tribute to the show's international success.] The Musée Grévin
The ''Musée Grévin'' (; ) ( en, Grévin Museum) is a wax museum in Paris located on the Grands Boulevards in the 9th arrondissement on the right bank of the Seine, at 10, Boulevard Montmartre, Paris, France. It is open daily; an admission fee ...
in Paris added statues of the robbers to its wax museum in summer 2018.[ The show's iconography was used prominently by third parties for advertising, sports presentations, and in porn.
Although the show's first two parts were popular, the domestic market in Spain failed to convince Antena 3 to continue the series and it was shelved until international response escalated to the point where the cast and crew were called back for another two seasons.]
There have also been negative responses to the influence of the show. In numerous incidents, real heist men wore the show's red costumes and DalĂŹ masks in their attacks or copied the fictional robbers' infiltration plans. The robbers' costumes were banned at the 2019 Limassol Carnival Festival
The Limassol Carnival Festival is an annual European carnival event held in Limassol, Cyprus.The event is held 12 days before the start of Lent, on the Sunday before Ash Monday, 50 days before Orthodox Easter. The festival is a colourful 10-day ...
as a security measure as a result. The series was used in an attack on YouTube, when hackers removed the most-played song in the platform's history, "Despacito
"Despacito" (; "Slowly") is a song by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featuring Puerto Rican rapper and singer Daddy Yankee as the lead single from Fonsi's 2019 studio album ''Vida''. Released on January 12, 2017, the song was written by Fonsi, ...
", and left an image of the show instead. In unrelated reports, a journalist from Turkish TV channel AkitTV and an Ankara
Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
n politician have both warned against the show for supposedly encouraging terrorism and being "a dangerous symbol of rebellion".[
Spanish newspaper '' El Mundo'' saw the public response as a reflection of the "climate of global disenchantment" where the robbers represent the "perfect antiheroes",][ and the '']New Statesman
The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...
'' explained the show's resonance with international audiences as coming from the "social and economic tensions it depicts, and because of the utopian escape it offers."[ Viewer response was especially high in Mediterranean Europe and the Latin world, in particular Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Brazil, Chile and Argentina,][ so Spanish as a common language did not appear to be a unifying reason for the show's success.][ Writer Javier GĂłmez Santander and actor Pedro Alonso (Berlin) rather argued that the Latin world used to feel at the periphery of global importance, but a new sentiment was coming that Spain could compete with the global players in terms of media production levels and give the rest of the world a voice.][
Netflix partnered with '']Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
''Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege'' is an online tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on December 1, 2015; the game was ...
'' for an in-game event, where hostages on the Bank map, wore Money Heist outfits. Outfits for 2 in-game characters were purchasable and the music in the background during the heist, was Bella Ciao.
The series is one of two Spanish-language TV series to be featured in ''TV Time
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, e ...
s top 50 most followed TV shows ever, currently being the fifth most followed series on the platform.
Critical reception
The series' beginning on Antena 3 was received well by Spanish media.[ NayĂn Costas of '']El Confidencial
''El Confidencial'' is a Spanish-language general-information digital newspaper located in Spain, specializing in economic, financial and political news. It was established as an online newspaper in 2001. Its target readership is professional ...
'' named the premiere a promising start that captivated viewers with "adrenaline, well-dosed touches of humor and a lot of tension," but considered it a challenge to maintain the dramatic tension for the remainder of the series. While considering the pilot's voice-over narration unnecessary and the sound editing and dialogs lacking, Natalia Marcos of ''El PaĂs
''El PaĂs'' (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. ''El PaĂs'' is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA.
It is the second most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . ''El Pa ...
'' enjoyed the show's ensemble cast and the ambition, saying "It is daring, brazen and entertaining, at least when it starts. Now we want more, which is not little."[ Reviewing the full first part, Marcos lauded the series for its outstanding direction, the musical selection and for trying to innovate Spanish television, but criticized the length and ebbing tension.] At the end of the series' original run, NayĂn Costas of ''El Confidencial'' commended the series for its "high quality closure" that may make the finale "one of the best episodes of the Spanish season", but regretted that it aimed to satisfy viewers with a predictable happy ending rather than risk to "do something different, original, ambitious", and that the show was unable to follow in the footsteps of Pina's '' Locked Up''.
After the show's move to Netflix for its international release, Adrian Hennigan of the Israeli ''Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''កadshot Haaretz'' â , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'' said the series was "more of a twisty thriller than soapy telenovela, driven by its ingenious plot, engaging characters, tense flash points, pulsating score and occasional moments of humor", but taunted the English title "Money Heist" as bland.[ In a scathing review, Pauline Bock of the British magazine ''New Statesman'' questioned the global hype of the series, saying that it was "full of plot holes, clichéd slow-motions, corny love stories and gratuitous sex scenes", before continuing to add that "the music is pompous, the voice-over irritating, and it's terribly edited".][ John Doyle of '']The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' praised parts 1 and 2 for the heist genre subversions; he also said that the series could be "deliciously melodramatic at times" with "outrageous twists and much passion" like a telenovela. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong of the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
saw the series' true appeal in the interpersonal dramas emerging through the heist between "the beautiful robbers, their beautiful hostages, and the beautiful authorities trying to negotiate with them."[ David Hugendick of '']Die Zeit
''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles.
History
The ...
'' found the series "sometimes a bit sentimental, a little cartoonesque," and the drama sometimes too telenovela-like, but "all with a good sense for timing and spectacle."
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
gave part 3 an approval rating of 100% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "An audacious plan told in a non-linear fashion keeps the third installment moving as ''Money Heist'' refocuses on the relations between its beloved characters." While lauding the technical achievements, Javier Zurro of ''El Español
''El Español'' is a Spanish online newspaper which started in 2015. It has its headquarters in Avenida de Burgos, 16D, 7Âș, Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid.
History
In 2014 Pedro J. RamĂrez was dismissed as the director from the newspaper '' El M ...
'' described the third part as "first-class entertainment" that was unable to transcend its roots and lacked novelty. He felt unaffected by the internal drama between the characters and specifically, disliked Tokyo's narration for its hollowness.[ Alex Jiménez of Spanish newspaper '']ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** DisneyâABC Television ...
'' found part 3 mostly succeeding in its attempts to reinvent the show and stay fresh.[ Euan Ferguson of '']The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' recommended watching part 3, as "it's still a glorious ''Peaky Blinders
The Peaky Blinders were a street gang based in Birmingham, England, which operated from the 1880s until the 1910s. The group consisted largely of young criminals from lower- to middle-class backgrounds. They engaged in robbery, violence, racke ...
'', just with tapas
A tapa () is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as ''chopitos'', which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas). In some ...
and subtitles," while Pere SolĂ Gimferrer of ''La Vanguardia
' (; , Spanish for "The Vanguard") is a Spanish daily newspaper, founded in 1881. It is printed in Spanish and, since 3 May 2011, also in Catalan (Spanish copy is automatically translated into Catalan). It has its headquarters in Barcelona and i ...
'' found that the number of plot holes in part 3 could only be endured with constant suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief, sometimes called willing suspension of disbelief, is the avoidance of critical thinking or logic in examining something unreal or impossible in reality, such as a work of speculative fiction, in order to believe it for ...
.[ Though entertained, Alfonso Rivadeneyra GarcĂa of Peruvian newspaper '' El Comercio'' said the show does "what it does best: pretend to be the most intelligent boy in class when, in fact, it is only the cleverest."]
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
External links
*
*
''Money Heist''
on Rotten Tomatoes
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{{InternationalEmmyAward DramaSeries
Money Heist
2010s crime drama television series
2020s crime drama television series
2017 Spanish television series debuts
2021 Spanish television series endings
Antena 3 (Spanish TV channel) network series
Crime thriller television series
Spanish crime television series
Spanish-language Netflix original programming
Television shows set in Madrid
Television shows set in Panama
Television shows set in Florence
Television shows set in Thailand
International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series winners
Television shows filmed in Spain
Television shows remade overseas
2010s Spanish drama television series
2020s Spanish drama television series
Spanish thriller television series
Fiction with unreliable narrators
Television series by Vancouver Media