HBO Europe has ordered 30 Coins (30 monedas), an original Spanish horror series directed by Venice and Goya-winning director Álex de la Iglesia. Produced by Pokeepsie Films, 30 Coins will shoot later this year in Spain. The series is an HBO Europe original production and will premiere day-and-date across HBO Europe territories.

Co-written by De la Iglesia and his long-time writing partner Jorge Guerricaechevarria, 30 Coins tells the tragedy of Father Vergara, an exorcist, boxer and ex-convict, who is exiled by the church to a remote town in Spain. He wants to forget and be forgotten, but his enemies will soon find him.

When Vergara is linked to a series of mysterious paranormal events in the village, Paco, the town’s naive mayor, and Elena, a restless veterinarian, try to uncover the secrets of his past, and the significance of the ancient silver coin he keeps hidden. Slowly the unlikely trio of heroes find themselves caught up in a global conspiracy: a battle for control of the thirty silver coins paid to the apostle Judas Iscariot for the betrayal of Jesus of Nazareth – cursed magical relics full of unimaginable power. A conspiracy that will strike at the heart of the Vatican and threatens the established world order itself.

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Executive Producers for HBO Europe are Miguel Salvat, Steve Matthews and Antony Root.

De la Iglesia is behind some of the biggest Spanish films in recent years, including Perfectos desconocidos (Perfect Strangers), El bar (The Bar) and Las brujas de Zugarramurdi (Witching and Bitching), which won eight Goya awards. His 2010 film Balada Triste de Trompeta (The Last Circus) won the Silver Lion for best director and the Best Screenplay prize at Venice Film Festival. His previous television credits are the sci-fi series Pultón B.R.B. Nero and La habitación del hijo, an episode of the anthology series Películas para no dormir.