Elite: Review, Story, Cast, Episodes, Release Date, Budget & More

Elite

Elite is a provocative Spanish teen thriller series that premiered on Netflix in October 2018, becoming an international sensation and running for eight seasons with the final episodes released in October 2024. Created by Carlos Montero and Darío Madrona, this addictive drama unfolds at Las Encinas, an exclusive private school in Madrid where class warfare, forbidden desires, and deadly secrets collide. The show initially starred Itzan Escamilla, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente, Arón Piper, and Ester Expósito, with an evolving ensemble cast across subsequent seasons. Elite distinguishes itself through unflinching exploration of sexuality, wealth inequality, drug use, and violence, pushing boundaries far beyond typical teen drama fare. The series employs a non-linear narrative structure, with each season built around a central mystery, usually a murder or disappearance, that slowly unravels through flashbacks and police interrogations. With its stylish cinematography, pulsing electronic soundtrack, and willingness to tackle controversial subjects without moralizing, Elite redefined Spanish television for global audiences while sparking conversations about class, privilege, and the toxicity lurking beneath glamorous surfaces.

Elite: Release Date, Story, Plot, Episodes, Cast, Actors Salary, Actors Net Worth, Budget, OTT Response, Trailer, Songs, Awards, Review, Ratings & More

InfoElite
GenreThriller
Teen drama
LanguageSpanish
Star CastMaría Pedraza
Itzan Escamilla
Miguel Bernardeau
Miguel Herrán
Jaime Lorente
ProducerFrancisco Ramos
Production
companies
Zeta Producciones
CinematographyDaniel Sosa Segura
Ricardo de Gracia
Edited byIrene Blecua
Ascen Marchena
CountrySpain
Original networkNetflix
Original release10 July 2017 – present
Running time41–61 minutes
10–15 minutes (short stories)

Elite Storyline

Elite begins when three working-class students, Samuel, Nadia, and Christian, receive scholarships to Las Encinas after their public school collapses due to negligence by a wealthy construction company. They enter a world of extreme privilege where their classmates include the children of Spain’s elite, Guzmán, Marina, Ander, Polo, Carla, and Lu, who initially treat the newcomers with suspicion and hostility. As the scholarship students navigate this hostile environment, complex relationships form that cross class boundaries, including forbidden romances, sexual experimentation, and unlikely friendships. The first season’s central mystery revolves around a murder that occurred at the school, with the narrative jumping between the events leading up to the crime and police interrogations afterward.

Elite Cast, Crew, Role, Salary, Remuneration & Net Worth

Here are the complete details of actors and actresses names in the Web Series.

1.María Pedraza as Marina Nunier Osuna

María Pedraza as Marina Nunier Osuna
InfoMarina Nunier Osuna
Real NameMaría Pedraza
Salary Per Web Series$60,000–$100,000
Net Worth$3 million

2.Itzan Escamilla as Samuel García Domínguez

InfoSamuel García Domínguez
Real NameItzan Escamilla
Salary Per Web SeriesNot Known
Net Worth$1 million – $5 million

3.Miguel Bernardeau as Guzmán Nunier Osuna

Miguel Bernardeau as Guzmán Nunier Osuna
InfoGuzmán Nunier Osuna
Real NameMiguel Bernardeau
Salary Per Web SeriesNot Known
Net Worth$5 million

4.Miguel Herrán as Christian Varela Expósito 

InfoChristian Varela Expósito
Real NameMiguel Herrán
Salary Per Web Series$50,000 – $70,000
Net Worth$3million – $5 million

5.Jaime Lorente as Fernando “Nano” García Domínguez

Jaime Lorente as Fernando "Nano" García Domínguez
InfoFernando “Nano” García Domínguez
Real NameJaime Lorente
Salary Per Web Series$60,000 – $90,000
Net Worth$1 million

6.Álvaro Rico as Leopoldo “Polo” Benavent Villada

Álvaro Rico as Leopoldo "Polo" Benavent Villada
InfoLeopoldo “Polo” Benavent Villada
Real NameÁlvaro Rico
Salary Per Web SeriesNot Known
Net Worth$9 million

7.Arón Piper as Ander Muñoz

Arón Piper as Ander Muñoz
InfoAnder Muñoz
Real NameArón Piper
Salary Per Web Series$85k-$107k
Net WorthNot Known

8.Mina El Hammani as Nadia Shanaa 

Mina El Hammani as Nadia Shanaa 
InfoNadia Shanaa
Real NameMina El Hammani
Salary Per Web SeriesNot Known
Net WorthNot Known

9.Ester Expósito as Carla Rosón Caleruega

Ester Expósito as Carla Rosón Caleruega
Info Carla Rosón Caleruega
Real NameEster Expósito
Salary Per Web SeriesNot Known
Net WorthNot Known

10.Omar Ayuso as Omar Shanaa

Omar Ayuso as Omar Shanaa
InfoOmar Shanaa
Real NameOmar Ayuso
Salary Per Web SeriesNot Known
Net WorthNot Known

Elite Web Series Awards

AwardsCategoryRecipients
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Elite Review

Elite delivers compulsively watchable teen drama that fearlessly tackles mature themes with a sophistication rarely seen in the genre. The show’s greatest strength is its refusal to sanitize teenage experience, characters have messy, complicated sex lives, struggle with substance abuse, and make genuinely terrible decisions with lasting consequences. The cast, particularly in early seasons, brings depth to characters who could easily be stereotypes, finding humanity in spoiled rich kids and complexity in working-class heroes. The mystery structure effectively drives narrative momentum, with each season’s whodunit providing satisfying payoffs. The production values are exceptional, from the stunning school location to designer wardrobes that reinforce class distinctions.

However, as the series progressed through numerous cast changes and increasingly outlandish plotlines, it lost some of the grounded social commentary that made early seasons compelling. Later seasons prioritize shock value over character development, with contrived scenarios replacing the organic tension of the original premise. The show’s frank depiction of queer sexuality and diverse representation deserves praise, though it occasionally exploits these elements for provocation. Elite works best when balancing its soapy melodrama with genuine insight into how wealth inequality poisons relationships and enables abuse. Despite diminishing returns in later seasons, the show’s cultural impact and early seasons remain essential viewing for understanding how Spanish television conquered global streaming audiences.

Disclaimer: The Data is collected from various sources and some from our own research. These data can be estimated and Primes World does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data.