Netflix unveils cast of 'Money Heist' spinoff 'Berlin'

WASHINGTON: Netflix unveiled the new cast of 'Berlin', the Spanish spinoff series to the streamer's global hit Money Heist on Wednesday.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new prequel series, which recounts the incredible heists carried out before the events of the original show, will star Pedro Alonso in the role he originated as the hedonistic, witty jewel thief Andres de Fonollosa, nicknamed Berlin, in the original series.

Along with him, his new crew will consist of Joel Sanchez as Bruce, a relentless man of action, Begoa Vargas as the unstable Cameron, Julio Pea Fernandez as the devoted Roi, and Michelle Jenner as Keila, an electronics specialist. Tristan Ulloa (Faria) will play Berlin's friend and charitable professor Damian.

Money Heist creators Esther Martinez Lobato and Alex Pina said the concept of the spinoff series was to take Alonso's Berlin's character, "the most sparkling personality" of the original Money Heist, and place it in another universe.

"We loved the idea of introducing a new gang around Berlin in a completely different emotional state," they said at a Netflix event in Madrid on Wednesday.

The first, eight-episode season of Berlin was co-written by David Oliva, David Berrocal, Lobato, and Pina. Geoffrey Cowper, Barrocal, and Albert Pinto are the directors.

On October 3, Berlin will start filming in Paris. Over the course of several weeks, production will occur in Madrid and the French capital, as per the reports of The Hollywood Reporter.

Money Heist was initially created as a two-part, 15-episode limited series for the Spanish commercial network Antena 3 in 2017. It is an exceedingly intricate and twisted bank robbery drama.

However, the show became an unexpected worldwide success when Netflix acquired the global rights, recut the two seasons into 22 shorter episodes, and released the show worldwide in December 2017. The third season of the show was ordered by the streaming service.

The program's popularity is credited with helping to popularise non-English-language TV drama and paving the way for upcoming international hits like Squid Game.

It was viewed by about 180 million households globally.

One of the first such agreements with a non-English-language creator was made when Netflix and Pina inked a global exclusive overall deal in 2018. In addition to the Berlin prequel, Netflix has also produced a Korean version of Money Heist: Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area, which dropped this summer.

The programme has been renewed for a second season despite the critics' muted reception.