Money Heist Berlin cast has been revealed. At a press conference in Madrid, held Wednesday, Netflix confirmed that the spin-off prequel has begun production, alongside its ensemble lineup. Pedro Alonso reprises his role as the iconic jewel thief Andrés de Fonollosa aka Berlin, as he constructs a series of heists before the mainline show. The eight-episode series is being helmed by directors Albert Pintó (Sky Rojo), Geoffrey Cowper (Day Release), and David Barrocal — the latter of whom wrote a few Money Heist episodes.
The Money Heist spin-off Netflix series will build a new gang around Berlin, long before he got involved with the masked heist group. In the words of its creators Esther Martínez Lobato and Álex Pina: “Berlin’s character has the most sparkling personality to place it in another universe. We loved the idea of introducing a new gang around Berlin in a completely different emotional state.”
As for his gang in the Money Heist spin-off, we have a bunch of new faces, starting with Michelle Jenner as Keila, an expert in electronics; Tristán Ulloa as Damián, a philanthropic professor and Berlin’s confidant; Begoña Vargas as the erratic Cameron; Julio Peña Fernández as the devoted Roi; and Joel Sánchez as Bruce, a relentless man of action.
Principal shooting for Money Heist Berlin begins October 3 in Paris, with production expanding to Madrid over several weeks. Lobato and Pina co-wrote the eight episodes with David Oliva and the aforementioned Barrocal. At the press conference, lead Alonso revealed how the script for the series begins:
There are only ten things that can turn a terrible day into a wonderful one. The first is love. And the truth, that wasn’t the case. My third wife had just left me…The second is a spoil of more than ten million euros. But it wasn’t the case either. We were going to steal the link to a much bigger heist, today’s was easy. But if you have a bad day, you can end up bringing a miserable to his knees and aiming for his head.
It will be interesting to see how Netflix builds Berlin’s character through the prequel, seeing as he sacrifices himself in season 2. Not to mention, the hedonistic thief was suffering from Helmer’s Myopathy, a muscle weakening disease which shortened his lifespan. Hopefully, we get to see his struggles with the syndrome and how it develops his personality over time. That said, keep in mind that he was a racist, misogynistic, and deplorable character — something both Alonso and Pina attested to in the Netflix documentary Money Heist: The Phenomenon.
Money Heist spin-off Berlin is currently in early production, and going by the initial announcement, is aiming for a 2023 release. Back in June, Netflix dropped a Korean version of the series, subtitled “Joint Economic Area,” which despite earning mixed reception, has another six episodes planned.
