Netflix’s curious world-building continues with new tease for a prequel spin-off to a series that’s not an original and has already been remade
Isabella Harris Looking at just how popular the ever-expanding universe has continued to be for Netflix – which is set to carry on when Berlin premieres on Dec. 29 – it’s incredible to think that Money Heist was in danger of being canceled at its original network.
Recommended VideosIf Antena 3 had followed through on wielding the axe – with the Spanish station airing the first 15 episodes before it became a Netflix original – then the streaming service could have missed out on one of its biggest-ever properties that cracked the all-time Top 10 several times over, spawned Korean-language remake Joint Economic Area, and will be back on screens before the end of the year.
Pedro Alonso’s scene-stealing title hero will be leading the charge this time around, with Netflix deciding that he was simply too popular and charismatic to be left off the table following his demise in the initial run of Money Heist, and the prequel will even feature a couple of familiar faces as revealed in the latest teaser.
¿Servicio de habitaciones? En la habitación de al lado hay una banda planeando un robo. BERLÍN, del universo de 'La casa de papel', llega a Netflix el 29 de diciembre. #BERLINnetflix
Room service? There's a gang planning a heist in the room next door. From the world of Money…
— La casa de papel – BERLÍN (@lacasadepapel) October 24, 2023
Heist thrillers are always a guaranteed draw on Netflix, so when you slap the Money Heist branding on an offshoot and place one of its most famous faces front-and-center, then you’d bet on Berlin becoming an overnight sensation when it lands. The real question is where the franchise goes from here; Joint Economic Area was a bit of a damp squib, and there arguably aren’t many more figures from the show who could realistically headline a solo adventure of their own, not that we’d rule it out.
