The team behind Netflix’s global hit Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) is returning with another ambitious project: Billionaires Bunker (Búnker para los ricos), a darkly satirical post-apocalyptic thriller. Premiering on 19 September, the series has already been labeled Netflix Spain’s most ambitious television production to date, reports G.business.

For viewers in Germany, the series will be available on Netflix with German dubbing and subtitles from day one, positioning it as one of the platform’s key European releases for autumn 2025.

Plot and genre: ironic survival beneath luxury

The story unfolds in a high-tech underground bunker built 270 meters below the surface, where Spain’s wealthy elite hide in hopes of surviving a nuclear catastrophe. Yet even walls of steel cannot suppress human ambition, jealousy, and unresolved conflict.

Status, money, and privilege quickly lose value. As tensions rise, viewers witness the collapse of social facades and the emergence of raw human nature. The result is part social satire, part psychological thriller — exploring what happens when the world’s most privileged individuals face the same primal struggle as everyone else.

Expect to see:

  • A clash between elitism and survival instincts
  • Exploration of power, betrayal, and human weakness
  • Dark humor woven into dystopian storytelling

Cast: who plays who

The central character, Max, is played by Pau Simon, a rising European actor previously seen in Nudes (2024). In the series, Max’s family finds itself trapped alongside other elite households, forcing old secrets and moral dilemmas to the surface. His storyline combines personal tragedy with global catastrophe, making him one of the show’s most emotionally charged figures.

Supporting roles include a range of high-profile characters — from politicians and tycoons to influencers and military figures — each representing a facet of modern privilege. Casting decisions have been kept partially under wraps, but Netflix promises a diverse ensemble blending new talent with established Spanish stars.

Production: Netflix invests big in Spanish storytelling

Filming took place at Madrid’s Tres Cantos Studios, where Netflix built massive sets covering over 7,000 square meters. Entire bunker corridors, living quarters, and survival facilities were recreated to immerse viewers in the claustrophobic underground world.

Netflix invested heavily in cutting-edge filming technology, including LED volume stages and dynamic camera rigs, to capture both the grandeur and the tension of isolation. While the exact budget has not been disclosed, industry insiders suggest a figure exceeding €50 million, making Billionaires Bunker one of the most expensive Spanish series to date.

Why it’s considered revolutionary:

  • Large-scale bunker sets never before seen in European TV
  • Advanced filming technology for heightened realism
  • A production team with proven success from Money Heist

Reception and early expectations

Even before release, Billionaires Bunker has attracted international attention. Netflix critics call it a potential “game-changer” for the platform’s European slate. In Spain, the press highlights the series’ mix of social critique and gripping drama, while German media notes the similarities to dystopian classics such as Snowpiercer and Squid Game.

Thematically, the show resonates with growing global inequality and public debates about how wealth shapes survival in times of crisis. For Netflix, the series also represents an attempt to retain European subscribers in an increasingly competitive streaming market.

What viewers can expect

Audiences should prepare for a show that combines social satire, thriller elements, and existential drama. This is not merely a series about wealthy individuals trapped in a bunker — it is a reflection on human behavior when societal rules collapse.

Themes include:

  • Survival versus morality
  • Betrayal and shifting alliances
  • The fragility of privilege in crisis
  • How isolation strips away illusions of control

If successful, Billionaires Bunker could become Netflix’s next global phenomenon after Money Heist. By mixing Spanish storytelling traditions with universal themes of survival and power, it has the potential to reach not just European but worldwide audiences. For Pau Simon, the series marks his most prominent role yet — one that could elevate him from a regional actor to an international name.

Stay connected for news that works — timely, factual, and free from opinion — and insights that matter now: Pau Simon: Age, Family, and the Roles That Made Him a Rising Star