The Eight Series Filmed in Malaga and Released in 2025 That You Should Have Watched

2025 has been the year of TV series in Málaga. Not only have up to eight national and international titles been released, filmed in the province, but they have also been productions highly acclaimed by critics and audiences, with one reaching number one in the world, several leading viewership in Spain, and one even receiving two Golden Globe nominations. Locations throughout the province, from Axarquía to Marbella, have hosted these plots featuring intrigue and crimes authored by acclaimed writers (Javier Castillo and Carmen Mola) and actors (Robin Wright, Sean Bean, Park Seo-Joon and Álvaro Morte). And in this line-up, a trend change consolidates: except for one series where Málaga 'plays' another territory, the scripts choose the province because they also set their plots here.

Miren Rojo, the keen journalist from SUR, was the first to premiere the list of Malaga series with the Netflix success 'La chica de nieve 2: el juego del alma', the sequel to her popular saga based on Javier Castillo's novels. A 'noir' and damp Málaga, slightly less rainy than in the first installment, stars in this highly anticipated continuation of six episodes that quickly became number 1 on Netflix in Spain. With the addition of Miki Esparbé to the plot as a crime journalist for the Malaga newspaper and as a counterpoint to the main character played by Milena Smit, this second installment deals with the disappearance and murder of young girls when the editor receives a blurry polaroid with the image of a tied-up girl, while a crucified teenager appears in a ruined building. For avid readers of Castillo's books, his partnership with Netflix also bore fruit this year with another adaptation, 'El cuco de cristal', released at the end of November and also leading the platform in our country with the story of a young doctor and a series of murders.

In just 24 hours, it was already at the top of the most-watched list in Spain and 14 other countries. And in its first week, it reached the number 1 worldwide for non-English speaking series on the Netflix platform, where it reigned for two weeks. The most explosive audience success of this year's series filmed in Málaga has been 'Dos tumbas', the resounding thriller of just three episodes created by the authors behind the Carmen Mola brand: writers and screenwriters Agustín Martínez, Jorge Díaz, and Antonio Mercero. The success of this miniseries pointed directly to one of the most charming towns in the Axarquía, Frigiliana, the main setting for this plot about the disappearance of a couple of girls during the town's fair and the relentless investigation of one of their grandmothers to find her granddaughter and her friend. Torrox's Vilches beach and the luxurious Huerta del Conde mansion in Málaga also lend their locations to this binge-worthy series starring three actors who coincided in the cast of 'La casa de papel': the Antequera native Kiti Mánver, Hovik Keuchkerian, and a transformed Álvaro Morte, who goes from being the 'Professor' to recovering his Andalusian accent for the role of a mafia boss and father of one of the victims.

The weakness of British mobsters for the Costa del Sol has its umpteenth version with 'Los amos de la ciudad', a solid BBC production starring gangsters with a twist, as instead of the usual London criminals, here the spotlight shifts to the underworld of Liverpool. Sean Bean, the unforgettable and fleeting Ned Stark from the first season of 'Game of Thrones', plays the veteran head of a drug clan, Ronnie Phelan, who considers stepping back from the front lines, which triggers a power struggle within his criminal organization between the gang's lieutenant and adopted son of the 'boss' and the capo's firstborn. Alongside the English city of The Beatles, the Trocadero restaurant in Benalmádena, the port of Málaga, and the promenade in Marbella also star in this family thriller about loyalty that also filmed scenes in Antequera with the legendary 'Indian' mountain—Peña de los Enamorados—in the background, giving a certain epic and twilight Western touch to the adventures of these gun-toting criminals.

The stellar presence of Hollywood star Robin Wright and the two recent Golden Globe nominations—for the actress and the series itself—support what is, undoubtedly, one of the best productions of the year set in Málaga. Here, the American actress and director brings the plot of 'La novia', which pushes the morbid limits she already explored in 'House of Cards' by taking the traditional conflict between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law to pathological and even bizarre extremes. Wright is the possessive mother of the groom in this apparent family drama full of unexpected twists that gradually heats up and veers into the erotic, violent, and bloody thriller genre with Olivia Cooke ('House of the Dragon') as the rival. A separate chapter deserves the luxurious locations of this Amazon MGM Studios plot that, with the collaboration of the Malaga production company Anima Stillking and the company A Film Locations, is also set in the Cueva del Gato in Benaoján, the center of Marbella, the spectacular Villa Tramores mansion in Benahavís, the port of Málaga, and a luxury yacht—named 'Amante', nothing is gratuitous in this miniseries—that cruises along the coast of Manilva.

This is probably the least known series filmed in Málaga and the one that will surprise the most. For its novelty and its radical plot, a sort of Finnish 'Breaking Bad' starring a successful real estate agent who lives an idyllic life until she sees how her entire empire wobbles when her husband disappears, leaving her with great sorrow and, above all, a massive debt. Her luxurious lifestyle is at risk, and the 'queen of houses' becomes 'La puta ama' when, to maintain her standard of living, she takes control of her partner's construction business and unscrupulously delves into shady deals, corruption, and crime. The promenade of La Malagueta and other locations on the Costa del Sol were the settings for this very dark black comedy, whose third episode takes place in our province with the presence of its great protagonist, Laura Malmivaara ('Bordertown'), aided by her sidekick Katja Küttner ('Princess'). The series from the Finnish public television YLE is distributed internationally by AMC, which can be seen in Spain through the platforms Prime Video and Apple TV.

Among the best national titles of the year is 'La suerte. Una serie de casualidades', the story of a veteran bullfighter of art, revered and respected by fans, whose superstition leads him to hire a new, young driver for his tour of Spain when his driver is sidelined. Óscar Jaenada, with a bullfighter's poise and resemblance to Morante de la Pueblo—not only physically but also narratively—and Ricardo Gómez, as a taxi driver, star in this drama with a comedic tint that is not only a magnificent portrait of bullfighting in these times of change, but also a magnificent tale about twilight and friendship. The half-hour episodes add freshness to this inspired series by Paco Plaza ('REC') and Pablo Guerrero ('Entre tierras') that delves into the personal crisis of the bullfighter and does not shy away from the debate that pits fans of the festival against animal rights activists who reject this spectacle. Indeed, the series makes the conflict between the old and the modern the central basis of a plot that was filmed in La Malagueta, El Palo, and the center of the capital.

The spy genre is traditionally dominated by CIA and MI6 plots. A hegemony that challenges 'El centro', an entertaining series that delves into the unknown Spanish National Intelligence Center (CNI) to show the functioning of this institution in the times of digital threats, although with a certain Cold War touch since the 'bad guys of the movie' are the Russians of the Putin era. The plot starts with a murder that uncovers an international operation by Moscow's intelligence services, while also revealing the existence of a mole within the 'house' of Spanish intelligence. A phlegmatic and astute spy played by Juan Diego Botto stars in this thriller filmed in Madrid, but which also passed through Benajarafe to film some beach scenes featuring the American actor Ken Appledorn ('Arde Madrid') that, in fiction, are set in San Fernando (Cádiz).

Lovers of Korean series ('K-drama') also have an Asian-Malaga title to feast their eyes on, 'Tal vez mañana' ('Surely Tomorrow'), which was filmed just three months ago in the center of Málaga and has already premiered on Prime Video. This romantic drama features the Asian star with the eternally youthful face, Park Seo-Joon ('The Marvels'), and Won Ji-An ('Squid Game'), who star in a story of second chances about young lovers who, after breaking up, reunite years later in a very different situation: he is a journalist who publishes a drug case that affects the popular husband of his former partner. Uncibay Square, Mundo Nuevo, Alcazabilla, Molina Larios, or Camas Square are some of the locations of this eagerly awaited twelve-episode series that, still on its seventh installment—its release progresses weekly—has not yet revealed the episode set in Málaga.