No, Money Heist is not based on a true story or real events. Money Heist is a Spanish television crime drama series created by Alex Pina. The series was first released as a two-part series comprising of 15 episodes, which was premiered on the Spanish television channel Antena 3. Subsequently, 26 additional episodes across three parts were released on Netflix.
Money Heist is an original fictional series written by the Spanish screenwriter, Alex Plina. The plots involving meticulously planned robberies of the Royal Mint of Spain and Bank of Spain impart an authentic feel to the series. However, there have been no real-life heists matching the events in this show. That said, the show draws inspiration from real-world elements for thematic depth and realism.
Plot Summary
Parts 1-2 deal with the Royal Mint heist. A criminal mastermind, known as The Professor, recruits eight skilled criminals. They storm the Royal Mint of Spain, take hostages and print 2.4 billion in Euros over the next 11 days. They term the whole incident as an anti-establishment act.
The group faces internal conflicts, romantic intrigues, hostage dramas and police negotiations led by Inspector Raquel Murillo. Flashbacks reveal months of meticulous planning. Despite shootouts and betrayals, the team executes the plan with a lot of twists. They suffer losses but escape with the money.
Part 3-5 deals with The Bank of Spain heist. Years later, the surviving team reunites for another heist. The objective this time is melting and extracting 90 tonnes of gold from The Bank of Spain’s flooded vault. New recruits include former inspector Raquel Murillo who is now the lover of The Professor.
The robbery soon turns into a full scale war against the authorities. Professor operates from outside and beats the police and interpol. Despite heavy losses, the gang melts the gold into bricks and escapes.
Real-World Inspirations
Anti-fascist symbols like the Salvador Deli and the Italian song “Bella Ciao”, both of which are seen in the series, are associated with historic protest culture in Europe. The Dali mask is a symbol of resistance against capitalism and established norms of the society. Bella Ciao, on the other hand, was an anthem for the Italian partisans during World War II.
The plot may have been inspired from some real robberies. For instance, the Banco Rio Heist in Argentina in the year 2006. In this incident, a group of robbers took 23 people hostage, negotiated with the police and vanished through a tunnel with millions in cash. The methodical planning behind this robbery mirrors that of Professor.