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Warning: This article contains Money Heist spoilers for the first three seasons.
If you love Money Heist on Netflix, and you love making-of documentaries, then you’re in for a real treat with Money Heist: The Phenomenon. That’s right: Not only did Netflix drop Part 4 of its popular Spanish crime drama today, La Casa De Papel (aka Money Heist in English), the streaming service also dropped a behind-the-scenes documentary that gives fans an inside look at this global success, as well as an inside look at how it became a global success in the first place.
Money Heist: The Phenomenon is a 57-minute special narrated by Money Heist writer Javier Gómez Santander that features interviews from, just to name a few, show creator Álex Pina; head director Jesús Colmenar; and cast members Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Pedro Alonso, Alba Flores, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente, Itziar Ituño and Esther Acebo. All of the above recount their journey from a little-known, nearly-canceled one season show in Spain, to a wildly popular series worldwide that debuted the fourth part/season today.
Basically, it’s all thanks to Netflix. The streaming service added the show to its library with little to no advertising, and suddenly the cast members were gaining millions of Instagram followers. People were wearing the Money Heist mask in Saudi Arabia, Columbia, Brazil, and yes, the United States. Even author Stephen King became a fan.
Then Netflix asked for Season 2. This time, when the Money Heist crew shot on location, crowds of fans showed up to watch. And with their increased budget, the scope of their shoots got bigger and bigger—and therefore more difficult to manage. In one moment in the documentary, director Jesús Colmenar struggles for hours and hours to film a complicated scene from Part 3 involving a giant fan and a lot of euros flying through the air. Tensions are high, and Colmenar snaps at his director of photography. That’s show biz, baby!
There are tons of interesting facts and emotional moments packed into this hour-long doc. You’ll learn how Tokyo got her name—because creator Álex Pina was wearing a shirt that said “Tokyo” on it—and you’ll witness the emotional goodbye to Nairobi actor Alba Flores. But best of all, you’ll get an inside look at the highs, lows, and everything in between that comes with creating what is rightfully dubbed a phenomenon.
If you need a recap before you watch Part 4, be sure to check out this comprehensive Money Heist recap from Decider’s Kayla Cobb. Now go get heisting!
