‘Money Heist’: The Spanish Netflix Series Is Getting a K-Drama Remake
Netflix’s Money Heist has been a smash hit since its debut on the streaming platform in 2017. The crime drama series, also known as La Casa de Papel, follows the detailed heists of a character known as the Professor (Álvaro Morte) and his crew of thieves. In Dec. 2020, BH Entertainment and Content ZIUM confirmed that the Spanish series would get a Korean remake following a similar plot and characters. The Netflix series’s executive producer, Álex Pina, is excited to see how the series will be transformed into a K-drama.
‘Money Heist’ is told from the perspective of one robber
Money Heist was initially a limited series. When Netflix acquired the global rights to the series, they recut the original 15 episodes to make a more extended season. After its success, the streaming platform renewed it for the following seasons. Money Heist follows the allusive criminal mind of a character known as the Professor.
The Professor recruits a group of thieves to execute his plan of robbing the Royal Mint of Spain. They plan to steal €984 million successfully. The series chronicles their plan of keeping hostages inside the Mint for 11 days to print out money while dealing with the police force. After succeeding, the team begins a new heist involving the Bank of Spain. The series’s narrator is one of the team’s thieves, Tokyo (Úrsula Corberó).
Actor Yoo Ji-Tae will play The Professor
According to Soompi, the K-drama remake of Money Heist will follow the same plot elements and main characters as the original Spanish series. BH Entertainment and Content ZIUM announced its official cast. Playing the criminal mastermind behind the heists is actor Yoo Ji-Tae. Just like the original series, the main characters’ codenames are cities around the world. Jeon Jong-Seo will play the unreliable narrator and thief, Tokyo.
Actor Park Hae-Soo will play the Professor’s second-in-command, Berlin. Playing the father-son duo of Moscow and Denver are actors Kim Ji-Hoon and Lee Won-Jong. Rounding out the cast of thieves is Jang Yoon-Joo as Nairobi and Park Jung-Woo as Rio. No crime drama is complete without law enforcement characters. Actor Kim Yoon Jin will star Seon Woo Jin, the leader of the crisis negotiation division joined by former special agent Cha Moo-Hyuk played by Kim Sung-Oh.
Money Heist’s storyline involves the thieves keeping hostages inside the Royal Mint, one hostage being the former director. In the K-drama remake, actor Park Myung Hoon will play the Royal Mint director named Jo Young-Min. Actor Esther Acebo plays Mónica Gaztambide (Stockholm) in the Netflix series as the mistress and secretary of the Royal Mint director and hostage. The K-drama remake has Lee Joo-Bin in the role of Yoo Mi-Sun.
K-drama remake will take place in the Korean Peninsula
The K-drama remake closely follows the original Spanish series, but tweaks were made to fit a Korean audience. Its story and heist will take place in the Korean Peninsula. The names of the central characters were changed while still maintaining their original codenames. But the producers and directors gave no further details about changes to the overall storyline.
According to Soompi, Money Heist’s executive producer, Álex Pina, is excited to see how the remake will unfold. “For several years, Korean content has crossed national boundaries and captivated audiences around the globe with its unrivaled composition and culture, just as ‘Money Heist’ has now. That is why we were attracted to the potential of a Korean version of ‘Money Heist.’ I am excited to see what will happen when this case unfolds against the backdrop of the Korean peninsula.” The K-drama’s air date, schedule, and official title are yet to be confirmed.
