Diego Ávalos, vice president originals for Spain, Portugal, and Nordics at Netflix, is being lauded for extending a lucrative exclusive deal with Money Heist (Casa de Papel) creator Álex Pina. Money Heist (Casa de Papel) remains one of Netflix’s most-watched programs, holding the title for the second most-watched non-English-language drama (Squid Game holds the top spot). 

Álex Pina has produced a number of other successful shows for Netflix, including the crime drama Sky Rojo, the La Casa de Papel Spinoff Berlin and the British-Spanish mystery-thriller White Lines.

Ávalos brought Pina to Netflix in 2018 as one of the company’s first overall deals with a non-English-language content producer. With the inking of this new deal, Diego Ávalos locked in one of today’s most creative minds in entertainment and continues Netflix’s trend of investing heavily in the region of Spain and Spanish-language talent.

Ávalos said of the deal: “Pina is an innovative and creative storyteller who has inspired fans and aspiring creators around the world. After the great adventure that has been Money Heist (Casa de Papel), we are very excited to remain a home for him … and all the stories that are to come.”

Diego Ávalos Hopes To Replicate Money Heist (Casa de Papel) Success in Spain

Diego Ávalos isn’t a household name among Netflix subscribers, but he has a massive impact on nearly every viewer’s experience. Ávalos is responsible for the launch of the first non-English-language original series at Netflix, Club de Cuervos (Club of Crows), and was a founder of the non-English language/local original series and film initiative at the company, which now produces hundreds of series, films, and documentaries each year. He opened Netflix’s first European production lot in Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain in 2019, where Netflix produces titles from around the world. This has created jobs in the region and solidified the streamer’s connection with Spanish-language talent (Spanish is the fourth most spoken language worldwide, and Netflix is available globally, including in all Spanish-speaking regions).

While developing a country strategy, Ávalos takes a local approach to content production by tapping into Spain, Portugal, and the Nordic region’s considerable talent pool and elevating local producers, actors, and others in the industry. 

This is how Ávalos found Money Heist (Casa de Papel), a series that began on a Spanish broadcast channel and received average-to-poor viewership. Noticing the potential, Ávalos picked up the show for Netflix and turned it into a worldwide phenomenon.

On the heels of Money Heist’s success, Ávalos produced more global hits like Élite and El Inocente (Innocent). He also continued to work with Álex Pina on his ongoing Netflix projects. 

As a result of Ávalos’ made in Spain strategy, the demand for non-English-language content has skyrocketed — and not only on Netflix. With the signing of a new exclusive contract with Pina, Avaolos hopes to continue the upward trend of Netflix’s Spanish, Portuguese, and Nordic content, potentially turning Spain into a leader in the entertainment industry on the way. 

“We may have a smaller market locally, but this industry is as strong as Hollywood,” Diego Ávalos said. “The talent behind and in front of the camera is at the world-class level.”

Diego Ávalos Greenlights Money Heist (Casa de Papel) Successor

In more good news for Pina’s fans, the Money Heist (Casa de Papel) creator has a new show in the works, greenlighted by Netflix VP Diego Ávalos.

The new series, as yet untitled, will center around a group of wealthy Spaniards who retreat into an underground bunker to escape an above-ground apocalypse.

Pina revealed that the new program was inspired by a news article he read during the COVID-19 pandemic about rich Spanish people building underground safe places in response to the virus. 

“Some of the shelters that were being built were luxury homes in the subsoil,” Pina said. “Up to 15 floors down, with exclusive services such as cinema, pool, spa, gym, and common gardens. An underground community for 75 people. We thought about what life would be like there. Social, family, and romantic relationships, in an underground shelter to which they had hastily and exclusively fled.” 

Netflix hasn’t revealed a release date for the new series, but it’s sure to be filled with drama, satire, and plenty of twists. 

More Money Heist (Casa de Papel) in the Works 

While the original series has come to a close, there’s more to come in the Money Heist Casa de Papel) universe. Pina is developing a prequel to the crime drama to be called Berlin. The new series will focus on the backstory of the titular character, played by Pedro Alonso. Berlin is scheduled for a late December 2023 release on Netflix. 

An adaptation of Money Heist (Casa de Papel) has also been created for Korean audiences, titled Money Heist: Korea — Joint Economic Area. The show is a remake of the Spanish hit with a few deviations to keep fans guessing. The first two parts of the series were released in 2022, and a third part has yet to be confirmed.

Álex Pina and Diego Ávalos Lead the Way in Spanish Entertainment 

The extension of Álex Pina’s exclusive collaboration with Netflix all but guarantees that the Money Heist (Casa de Papel) phenomenon will continue. Future spin-offs and adaptations are highly likely as Netflix seeks to capitalize on Money Heist’s household name. For Pina and fans, that’s a reason to rejoice. 

And that’s only the beginning of Diego Ávalos’ plans for Netflix in Spain. The streamer is producing many Spanish shows, films, and nonfiction series in 2023 alone — not including ongoing series that already debuted. Among the new shows are Pina’s Berlin and El Silencio, and a series starring Arón Piper of Élite. 

During his nine years at Netflix, Diego Ávalos’ aspirations have always been rooted in bringing local stories to the world. He aimed to make the Spanish entertainment industry as successful as Hollywood, and he’s on his way. With Pina on board and an extensive slate of new content in the works, Netflix is poised to be the global leader in Spanish-language entertainment. More significantly, it will continue to usher Spanish-language content into the worldwide mainstream.