Netflix's most popular TV shows aren't all dramas like Stranger Things and The Witcher or reality nonsense like Selling Sunset – some of its biggest hits aren't presented in English at all. One of those shows is crime drama Money Heist ('La casa de papel' in Spanish, which is a much better name), the Spanish-language series which saw its latest season grab 65 million viewers in its first month.
Now, Netflix is remaking it...in Korean. The original creator, Alex Pina, is involved, along with director Kim Hong-sun, who worked on the Netflix horror series The Guest. That's according to Deadline, which says the show will be written by Ryu Yong-jae.
Money Heist – in its first run – tells the story of a single heist, masterminded by a figure called 'The Professor' (Álvaro Morte). The show uses flashbacks and other techniques to explore the various characters who are in on the job, and pulls the rug out with a number of big twists. The first heist in the series focuses on a raid on the Royal Mint of Spain. This new series will be set on the Korean Peninsula, as you might expect.
No date is given for the remake, but you'll probably have to wait a little while. Still, like all Netflix originals, you can expect it to release globally on the streaming service.
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Should it be remade?
You can see the potential in a local remake, with a different cultural grounding, script and cast. It's cool that this remake isn't an English-language deal – that sort of thing would've been more likely more than a decade ago, but it's clear Money Heist already resonates with English-speaking audiences without needing a redo.
"Korean creators have been developing their own language and audiovisual culture for years," creator Alex Pina said in a statement. "They have managed, like our series, to go beyond cultural borders and become a point of reference for thousands of viewers around the world, especially among young people." He added that he's "delighted" the adaptation is in the works.
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