Back to All NewsNetflix Announces the Start of Filming for Aquel, the New Series Based on Raphaels Life
Entertainment
09 July 2025
GlobalSpain
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Netflix has announced today the start of filming and the main cast of Aquel, a biographical series based on the life of renowned Spanish singer Raphael. This new project will offer an intimate look into the life of the famous artist from Linares and will star Javier Morgade (Disco, Ibiza, Locom a, Alma) and Carlos Santos (1992, Smoke & Mirrors) as Raphael. The cast also includes Francesco Carril (The New Years, August Virgin), Natalia Varela (She's Your Father, You Can't Hide), Pepa Aniorte (Dreams of Freedom, The Hunt: Guadiana), and Manolo Caro (Wrong Side of the Tracks, Feria: The Darkest Light), among others.
Aquel is an eight-episode biographical series that tells the story of Raphael like never before. From his humble beginnings in post-war Spain to conquering the world's greatest stages, the series portrays the unstoppable rise of an extraordinary artist-his deepest passions, greatest successes, personal struggles, and the ghosts that have accompanied him throughout his life. With settings ranging from Madrid to Las Vegas, and including Moscow, Paris, and Acapulco, Aquel is an emotional journey through five decades filled with light and shadow. A moving story that reveals the man behind the myth.
As Raphael himself stated: I'm deeply excited about this project, the result of over three years of work. These have been intense months of scriptwriting, casting, production design, and close collaboration with the directors, along with three exceptional partners: Caracol, DLO, and Netflix. Filming finally began in June, and I couldn't be happier with the early results. This biopic doesn't just tell my story; it also reflects a shared history: more than six decades of a career marked by unforgettable moments-some well known, others more intimate; some bright, others more painful-but all deeply meaningful. I've told my life without filters, and the writers have interpreted it with total freedom. This is not a biopic that idealizes my path, but an honest, unvarnished portrait that doesn't shy away from any part, no matter how difficult. For all these reasons, I believe Aquel has a special value. I can't wait to see the final result and, above all, to share it with all of you.
The series is produced by Dlo Producciones (El jardinero, Not One More) in association with Caracol Televisi n. It is directed by Tito L pez Amado, Javier Pulido, and Beatriz Sanch s, with Jos Manuel Lorenzo as producer and Jacobo Martos as associate producer. The script was written by Ignacio del Moral, Paloma Rando, and Adri P. Xanc . Executive producers include Nacho Bolonio, Dago Garc a, Lisette Osorio, and Jos Manuel Lorenzo.
The series will premiere exclusively on Netflix in Spain and Latin America.
About Dlo Producciones Jos Manuel Lorenzo, founder, president, and executive producer of DLO Producciones, established this fiction, film, and television production company in 2011, which became part of the Banijay Group in 2013. By then, DLO was already one of the fastest-growing independent audiovisual production companies in Spain, mainly in the field of fiction. DLO Producciones is made up of a multidisciplinary team of audiovisual professionals with long-standing careers and widely acclaimed projects: La caza. Monteperdido (RTVE), the breakout series of the 2019 season, premiered successfully in both Spain and Italy, with a French adaptation that became a ratings hit. The series was renewed for a second (La caza. Tramuntana), third (La caza. Guadiana), and a fourth season: La caza. Irati, which will premiere on Movistar Plus at the end of the year. Other projects include the comedy Lord, Give Me Patience (Atresmedia, Warner Pictures), Spain's box-office leader in the summer of 2017, now followed by a second installment in series format for Atresmedia; Los Jap n, presented at the M laga Film Festival and starring Dani Rovira and Mar a Le n; Tell Me Who I Am (Movistar Plus ), the first international series from Movistar Plus , adapted from the literary phenomenon by Julia Navarro; El Inmortal, a TV series inspired by the Los Miami gang (Telef nica, Telemundo), nominated at the 2022 Cannes Festival and renewed for a second season; Not One More and El Jardinero for Netflix; Las largas sombras, directed by Clara Roquet, for Disney; Segunda Muerte, a thriller shot in Cantabria; and Anatomy of a Moment, the adaptation of Javier Cercas's book, for Movistar Plus .
About Caracol Televisi n Caracol Televisi n is a leader in Spanish-language content production, renowned for transforming global entertainment through bold and innovative storytelling. With over five decades of experience and more than 1,800 hours of original content produced annually, Caracol has established itself as a key player in the international audiovisual industry. Its stories travel and resonate with audiences in more than 180 countries across five continents, thanks to a strong global distribution strategy and a creative approach that transcends formats and borders.
From its offices in Bogot , Miami, and Madrid, Caracol Internacional distributes a broad and diverse catalog that includes dramas, series, documentaries, films, digital content, podcasts, and entertainment formats created by Caracol Televisi n. These productions have crossed cultural and language barriers, earning global recognition. In addition to operating Colombia's national free-to-air television channel, the company also provides production services to third parties and develops multiplatform content distributed through international partners, its own channels, and third-party platforms.
