Everything we know about upcoming 'Money Heist' spin-off 'Berlin'
Calling all Money Heist fans! The crowd-favorite show may have ended, but it will go on through its prequel series Berlin.
It goes without saying that Money Heist (aka La Casa de Papel) has come a long way from the two-part limited series that it was initially intended as. After all, it was both a critical and commercial success, winning an International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series and remaining one of the most-watched series overall on streaming platform Netflix.
Here's what you need to know about Berlin to keep you hyped until its year-end premiere.
A different POV
It can be recalled in Money Heist that Berlin created the plan that the professor executed, which involves a group of strangers—all nicknamed after cities—banding together to rob the Royal Mint of Spain.
The prequel series, meanwhile, will focus on an earlier period in Berlin’s life. This was only previously touched upon via flashbacks in Money Heist's later seasons.
We were used to Tokyo's perspective, but now we get to see the Money Heist shared universe through another beloved character's point of view. And not just a fan favorite at that, but a flawed character who died early in the show's run but still ended up as one of the most popular characters overall.
Backstory behind bank story
According to Berlin's Netflix synopsis, the eponymous criminal's next big heist is a "jackpot of jewels worth 44 million."
This was teased in Netflix's latest promo of the show on Feb. 7.
"The La Casa de Papel gang might’ve pulled off their heist at last, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the story. The new series Berlin delves into the backstory of dastardly mastermind Berlin in the years before he teamed up with the Professor, Tokyo, and the rest of the gang to pull off the biggest heist Spain (and the world) has ever seen," Netflix's official companion site Tudum reported.
Character-driven plot
Pedro Alonso will reprise his character, Berlin, this time in the titular role. Otherwise known as Andrés de Fonollosa, he is the second-in-command of the Royal Mint of Spain heist during the main series.
“It’s a trip through the golden age of the character, when he robbed around Europe crazy in love... That’s the most surprising, the comedy. You’re going to make people laugh a lot,” series creator Álex Pina said of the prequel series.
Aside from his role as Diego Murquía in the historical drama series Grand Hotel, this marks Alonso's best-known project to date, which means he's sure to give us the performance of his life.
The actor himself has described Berlin’s character as deplorable, misogynistic, racist, and borderline psychopathic in the Netflix documentary Money Heist: The Phenomenon.
“It is a memorable moment because it is the end of one cycle and the beginning of another... Today I was talking to Jesús Colmenar and we were saying that now we walk into the unknown, open to whatever happens and without expectations,” Alonso said at a Netflix fan event.
Berlin, which features "a new heist in the city of love," is set to premiere in December. More details about the upcoming show are yet to be revealed.