Did you know that Money Heist was first made as a Spanish television show? And after initial success, the Spanish version suffered a major ratings decline and faced cancellation? The remarkable journey of La Casa de Papel, now known as Money Heist, is extraordinary.
The show originally debuted on the Spanish commercial network Antena 3 in May 2017. The premiere attracted a massive audience of 4.5 million viewers. However, the traditional weekly broadcasting format slowly drained the momentum. Viewership plummeted by nearly half as the season progressed. The creators considered the story finished and the cast moved on to other projects.
Everything changed in late 2017 when Netflix quietly acquired the global streaming rights. The platform made a few crucial technical adjustments. Editors trimmed the original seventy minute Spanish episodes into shorter installments. They also rebranded the series with its catchier English title. Netflix released the thriller globally with almost no promotional marketing. Audiences discovered the show entirely through organic word of mouth. Within months, it became the most watched non English language series on the platform. Recognizing this massive success, Netflix officially took full control of production. They financed three additional parts with significantly larger budgets.
"Hollywood is not the be-all and end-all of storytelling... and this is really just the beginning," Netflix famously said after Money Heist became a global sensation.
