The Mipcom title 'The Castle' is shaping up as another success from the creator of 'La Bola Negra' for Movistar Plus.

'Zodiac,' with its sex clubs, but also a case seen from the POV of both a perpetrator and a victim. 'The Castle' (El Castillo), which was successful at San Sebastián, marks the first appearance of series creator Isabel Peña, alongside Rodrigo Sorogoyen, from one of the most thrilling back-to-back lineups, not only in Europe but also across Spain.

El Castillo, one of Movistar Plus' biggest dramas at Mipcom, depicts Spain's 'rape culture', hailed in Spain as the Spanish series of the year.

"Zodiac" with sex clubs, but also a case of pictures of a criminal and a victim, "The Castle" (El Castillo), a hit in San Sebastián, marks the debut of the creator of the series Isabel Peña, alongside Rodrigo Sorogin of one of the most exciting "Back to back, but not only in Europe" and "New Year".

Here, he partners with Eduardo Villanueva, one of Pena and Sorogin's scribes, on Riot Police. "The Castle" actually recalls the hybrid structure of the 2021 series: a genre in the ongoing criminal investigation, a character odyssey and a drama-thriller that takes place in a damned local context: real estate speculation in "Police Riot", the transformation of the Spanish sex trade into a mafia of sophisticated actors across the country. RELATED STORIES Russell T Davies calls BBC boss 'Doctor Who' artificial intelligence Dast Noor's comment teases the show's future: "You'll start filming next summer."

El Mundo, one of Spain's largest newspapers, said "Castle," which premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival in late September, was highlighted as one of its biggest hits: "Spanish Series of the Year: Spain's Prostitution: The Naturalization of Rape Culture." Popular in variety

The Castle was partly inspired by El Proxenata, a novel by Mabel Lozano told in the first person by a king of prostitution.

"The challenge was to make this narrative more accessible," Peña said at a press conference in San Sebastian.

So Villanova and Peña opened up the story to other perspectives. Set between 1999 and 2004/05, it spans three storylines: a police inspector, Gerardo Lisa (Omar Ayoso, "The Elite") and colleague Carmen Oses (Laia Marvel, "Take My Eyes"), who join Spain's Ucrif and are initially tasked with illegal immigration. In episode 1, a policeman celebrates stag night in a brothel.

Colombia's Valentina Vidal stars as Claudia, a single mother who, desperate to pay for medical care for her terminally ill young son, volunteers to go to Spain to work as a prostitute. This series details his labors once there.

Meanwhile, El Suezo fights to turn isolated roadside sex clubs into a network of exclusive mega-brothels.

Setting up a marketing campaign, a board for various club owners and a trade body lobby. He also hires a tough lawyer who installs ATMs in every establishment and launders the brothel's ill-gotten gains from the cash he gives out to customers, with a 10 percent surcharge to boot.

The triple POV allowed us to make El Suezo a criminal and follow through Claudia's [rape] travails with honesty and empathy for her character. Lisa, for her part, doesn't understand what's going on when she starts, so she represents the eyes of the audience.

Director Elena Martin (Creatura) said at the same press conference: "Castle" is not about sex workers. It examines the mechanisms of human trafficking, how its criminal structure operates and sustains a business."

This is the key scene. Colombian prostitutes brought to Spain have to pay off debts that cover not only the airfare but more. In one of the main episodes, Claudia confronts Manuel Muñoz, "El Suizo" (Raul Arevalo in a stunning performance), the owner of her brothel club, for charging her not only for maintenance, but for additional expenses such as attorney's fees. He ends up punching her in the face.

In another, a public prosecutor estimates that Claudia earned more than 200,000 euros ($224,000) for El Suezo. However, after more than two years of working for him and the 4,304 clients counted in Claudia's notebook, according to El Suezo's calculation, he still owes her €300 ($336).

Martin noted that there are only two sex scenes in the series. Both are shot from Claudia's POV. "We ran away from gender," Martin said. In both scenes, Claudia looks robotic. "In such a painful situation, a woman can't mentally not be there, detach herself," Martin added.

The key part of the series, where the workers of the brothel line up to draw the lottery for university students. Claudia is lost in a dream and is taken away.

Filmed under the gray skies of Spain, "Castle" simply tells it like it is.

Movistar Plus content director Juan Andres García Rupero predicted: "Castle" will make a lot of noise and drive conversation in San Sebastián. This looks set to continue as the subject of a masterclass on October 22nd at the Barcelona TV Festival Serilizados featuring Peña and Villanova.