Written by Joe Jackson on Oct 4, 2021. Posted in Production News

Second part of Money Heist season five set for December Netflix premiere

Following the successful release of season five’s first instalment in September, the Netflix premiere of the final Money Heist season’s second part will take place on 3 December 2021. The fifth and final series of the popular Spanish crime drama has been filmed across Denmark, Italy, Panama, Portugal, Spain and Thailand – and the show’s creator says that the last instalment of the season will focus on the emotional aspects of the characters’ journey.

The first series originally featured on the free-to-air Spanish TV channel Antena 3 in May 2017. After exceeding its expected targets and drawing in large numbers of viewers, the series was made available on Netflix Spain in July the same year. Netflix renamed the programme Money Heist – rather than La Casa de Papel or The House of Paper – for distribution in the English-speaking world, and its popularity has continued to grow.

The final part of season five was written during the pandemic, and the programme’s creator Álex Pina clarified in an official statement that the writers “felt we had to change what was expected from the 10-episode season and [therefore] used every tool we could to create the sensation of a season finale or series finale in the first volume itself.” While the first part of season five was characterised by high levels of action and intensity, the last volume focuses “more on the emotional situation of the characters,” thereby creating “a journey across their sentimental map that connects us directly to their departure.”

The sustained popularity of the show is all the more impressive considering the obstacles that were negotiated during the Covid-19 period. Patricia Lino, Managing Director and Executive Producer of Production Services Portugal, was pleased by her company’s involvement in the project, as well as the support provided by authorities in the Lisbon region. “The sequences of Money Heist that were filmed in Portugal took place in September 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, and were shot in and around Lisbon,” she states. “We managed to shoot on the 25 de Abril Suspension Bridge during the most hectic traffic hour of the year – the last day of the holidays where everybody comes into town from holidays and from the beaches – which shows the friendliness towards filming feature films from the local authorities. For me, it was a blessing being part of this project.”

Henrik Berthelsen, Founder of Yak Yak Production Service, was similarly impressed by the manner in which the local governing bodies in Copenhagen assisted the Money Heist project. He observes that the programme’s Spanish producers “really wanted to capture the essence of Copenhagen” through use of its cultural landmarks and geographical features, resulting in Frederiksborg Castle, Frederiksholms Canal, Nyhavn (or ‘New Harbour’) and the Tivoli Gardens amusement park featuring prominently throughout the filmmaking process.“This was one of the biggest events that the castle had ever coordinated,” he explains, “but the authorities had our backs, and we succeeded in getting the necessary permissions in a couple of weeks. The city was in its reopening stages after Covid-19, so in many ways it was easier to shut down certain attractions in Tivoli and take more control in Nyhavn – but this still required coordination and cooperation. I was really happy with how everyone worked with the Spain team.”

All previous seasons of Money Heist are currently available to view worldwide on Netflix. Yak Yak Production Service have worked on projects with Carlsberg and Radisson Hotels, and Production Services Portugal’s collaborations include Heineken and Dr Oetker. Both companies have produced work with Samsung and Hyundai.

Images: © Manolo Pavón / Tamara Arranz / Netflix.