The city of Pamplona is preparing to step back in time almost three decades with the start of filming for Iruña 1997, the new fiction series from Movistar Plus+. This production, born from a collaboration with Buendía Estudios Bizkaia, has generated great anticipation. to bring together two of the most well-known faces Among the current stars of Spanish acting are Clara Galle from Navarre and Álvaro Cervantes from Catalonia. They will play a police duo who must work together in an extremely sensitive social climate.
The project marks the adaptation of the novel of the same name by Natxo López, who, in addition to being the author, is actively involved in developing the screenplays. Filming is scheduled to begin. It will officially begin on July 7th.The project, coinciding with the main day of the San Fermín festivities, will last for a total of fifteen weeks. The technical team will travel to different locations throughout Navarre and Biscay to capture the atmosphere of a year that left an indelible mark on the collective memory of Spain.
A criminal investigation between two opposing worlds
The plot begins with a gruesome discovery: the body of a young woman is found lifeless near the walls of Pamplona, the capital of Navarre, during the town's festivities. What appears to the authorities as a simple accident resulting from the uncontrolled revelry, Amaia—Clara Galle's character—sees as clearly murder. This young municipal police officer, of Basque descent, will decide... pull back the curtain on their own even involving Julio, a National Police inspector played by Álvaro Cervantes, in the case.
The relationship between the two protagonists will not exactly be a bed of roses. Julio has just returned to his hometown after a turbulent period in Galicia and comes from a wealthy family, which clashes head-on with Amaia's reality. This duality serves to to portray the two sides of Pamplona which, in the late nineties, was mired in a deep social divide. As they progress in solving the crime, the investigators will discover that the case is far more complex than they initially suspected.
The historical context: the year that changed everything
One of the fundamental pillars of this series is its historical setting. The story takes place in the summer of 1997, a critical moment marked by the activity of the terrorist group ETA. The euphoria typical of the San Fermín festival is cut short by the political reality, especially by the kidnapping and murder of Miguel Ángel Blanco, an event that paralyzed the country and provoked an unprecedented citizen mobilization in the streets of Navarre and the Basque Country.
The narrative seeks to reflect the constant tension in which the citizens lived, where celebration and tragedy went hand in hand on every corner. The screenplay, written by Natxo López himself along with Marina Parés and David Pérez Sañudo, strives to maintain a rigorous and balanced tone about the period, showing how political conflicts influenced daily life and the work of the security forces, who were often forced to collaborate despite their ideological differences.
A stellar team for an ambitious production
Behind the scenes, the series boasts a strong directorial team led by David Pérez Sañudo, who has already demonstrated his expertise in the genre with previous award-winning works. The cast is another of the production's strengths, as in addition to the lead couple, names of the caliber of Karra Elejalde, María Pujalte and Itsaso AranaThe list of performers is completed with actors such as Pablo Gómez-Pando, Josean Bengoetxea and Paula Usero, ensuring a high-quality ensemble cast for the six episodes that will make up the miniseries.
On the technical side, executive production is handled by Tomás Silberman and Pepe Ripoll, while Kenneth Oribe will be the cinematographer. With such an extensive shooting schedule, the series aspires to become one of the most notable premieres on the platform in the coming years, presumably towards 2027. International distribution will be handled by Movistar Plus+ International, which will seek to bring this locally produced story to foreign markets interested in Spanish historical thrillers.
This new fictional work presents itself as an opportunity to revisit our recent history through the lens of suspense, using the original novel as a solid foundation to explore the wounds of a society that was beginning to raise its voice. The combination of an unsolved crime, the climate of social tension at the end of the century And a cast with great commercial appeal positions this project as a key piece in this year's original production catalog, making it clear that the interest in stories set in real contexts remains very present in the current audiovisual industry.