Berlin (also known as Money Heist: Berlin, in Spanish La casa de papel: Berlín) is a Spanish television series created by Álex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato for Netflix.[1] The series serves as a prequel to Money Heist, focusing on the life of Andrés de Fonollosa, aka "Berlin", before the events of seasons 1 and 2 of the original series. It stars Pedro Alonso, Michelle Jenner, Tristán Ulloa, Begoña Vargas, and Julio Peña Fernández.[2] The series premiered on Netflix on 29 December 2023 and consists of eight episodes.[1] Money Heist: Berlin received mixed reviews with many critics feeling that it did not live up to the standard of the original Money Heist.
| Berlin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Spanish | La casa de papel: Berlín |
| Created by | Álex Pina Esther Martínez Lobato |
| Starring |
|
| Opening theme | "Bullets and Flowers"[1] by Francis White (ft. Nikki Garcia) |
| Country of origin | Spain |
| Original language | Spanish |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8[1] |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Álex Pina Esther Martínez Lobato Albert Pintó Cristina López Ferraz |
| Production locations | |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 58-61 minutes |
| Production company | Vancouver Media[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29) – present (present) |
| Related | |
| Money Heist | |
On 19 February 2024, the show was renewed for a second season.[3]
Many years before the events of Money Heist, Berlin made another heist, stealing €44 million in jewels and framing the one who provided the security for it. He was the leader of a criminal gang by then, Keila (Michelle Jenner), Damián (Tristán Ulloa), Cameron (Begoña Vargas), Bruce (Joel Sánchez) and Roi (Julio Peña Fernández).[4] The series is primarily set in Paris.[1] Things get complicated when, while spying on the victim to be framed, he falls in love with the victim's wife.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Energy of Love" (La energía del amor) | Albert Pintó David Barrocal Geoffrey Cowper | Álex Pina Esther Martínez Lobato David Barrocal David Oliva | 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29) |
| 2 | "Anchor and Lobo" (El ancla y el lobo) | Albert Pintó David Barrocal Geoffrey Cowper | Álex Pina Esther Martínez Lobato David Barrocal David Oliva | 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29) |
| 3 | "Full House of Embryos" (Póker de embriones) | David Barrocal Albert Pintó Geoffrey Cowper | Álex Pina Esther Martínez Lobato David Barrocal David Oliva | 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29) |
| 4 | "An Aquarium on Your Back" (Un aquarium en la espalda) | Geoffrey Cowper Albert Pintó David Barrocal | Álex Pina Esther Martínez Lobato David Barrocal David Oliva | 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29) |
| 5 | "After Love" (After Love) | Albert Pintó David Barrocal Geoffrey Cowper | Álex Pina Esther Martínez Lobato David Barrocal David Oliva Lorena G. Maldonado | 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29) |
| 6 | "Night of the Lemons" (La noche de los limones) | David Barrocal Albert Pintó Geoffrey Cowper | Álex Pina Esther Martínez Lobato David Oliva Lorena G. Maldonado Luis Garrido | 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29) |
| 7 | "The Last Virgin in the Western World" (La útlima virgen de Occidente) | David Barrocal Albert Pintó Geoffrey Cowper | Álex Pina Esther Martínez Lobato David Oliva Lorena G. Maldonado Luis Garrido | 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29) |
| 8 | "An Endangered Elephant" (Un elefante en peligro de extinción) | Albert Pintó David Barrocal Geoffrey Cowper | Álex Pina Esther Martínez Lobato David Oliva Lorena G. Maldonado Luis Garrido | 29 December 2023 (2023-12-29) |
In late November 2021, just days before the release of the second volume of the fifth part of Money Heist, Netflix announced that it was developing a spin-off series, Berlin, for a tentative 2023 release, with Pedro Alonso expected to reprise his eponymous role from the original series.[6][7] On September 28, 2022, Michelle Jenner, Begoña Vargas, Tristán Ulloa, Julio Peña Fernández and Joel Sánchez were cast to co-star alongside Alonso.[2] In March 2023, it was announced that Itziar Ituño and Najwa Nimri would also be reprising their roles as Raquel Murillo and Alicia Sierra from Money Heist.[5] Filming began in October 2022 in Paris, France, and continued in Madrid, Spain.[2][5]
Creators Alex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato wanted to do something "lighter" after their previous recent projects.[1] In comparison to its parent show Money Heist, Berlin has more comedic tones and employed more actors and locations.[1] The series was shot in a wider screen 2:1 ratio to give the characters "more of a scenic experience of their surroundings".[1]
The show was renewed for a second season on 19 February 2024. Filming will begin on 2025.
The Daily Beast's Noel Murray felt the plot and new characters did not hold up to the original Money Heist.[8]
