Netflix Is Officially Bringing Back This 21-Year-Old Crime Franchise

Published Sep 24, 2026, 12:06 PM EDT

Giovana Gelhoren is a High-Trending Topics Writer at Collider, covering the most-talked-about stars, movies, and TV shows. Before joining Collider, she was a Digital News Writer at People Magazine and served as Associate Editor at SheKnows, where she honed her expertise in celebrity coverage and entertainment journalism.

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Over the years, several international TV shows on Netflix received love and critical acclaim around the world. From Squid Game to Money Heist and Lupin, these are shows that went above and beyond with the Netflix audience, regardless of the language or country of origin they were from. So, as Netflix gets ready for a new batch of releases next month, one Turkish title might be gearing up for some major success.

Money Trap: The Karun Treasure, which will be premiering on October 16, 2026, could not only find its audience with its compelling comedy-crime synopsis, but because it's part of an even greater franchise. Spanning more than 20 years, the new eight-episode series will not only cater to new audiences around the world, but could bring a dash of nostalgia by bringing back a crew Turkish viewers know and love.

What Is 'Money Trap: The Karun Treasure' About?

Money Trap: The Karun Treasure will follow legendary scam artist Asım Noyan (Yılmaz Erdoğan) on a new mission. Per the synopsis, the story will kick off when a "mythical map" falls on his lap and "he decides to pull one last con before leaving it all behind for good." "I have one last debt to collect, I'll handle it, and then I'm done," he says in the trailer. The map, which is connected to the legendary Treasure of Karun, then sets off a race involving Asım's gang, ruthless rivals, and international treasure hunters who are also after the treasure.

While the synopsis makes the series seem like a straight treasure-hunting thriller, the series thrives as a con-artist/crime comedy, bringing together elements of comedy, action, and suspense into the streets of Istanbul and into its underground passages. The series, directed by Şenol Sönmez and produced by Necati Akpınar, also stars Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, Ezgi Mola, Uraz Kaygılaroğlu, Rıza Kocaoğlu, Ersin Korkut, Okan Çabalar, Bensu Soral Baş, Atakan Çelik, Şükran Ovalı, Görkem Sevindik and Demet Akbağ.

'Money Trap: The Karun Treasure' Belongs to a Much Larger Franchise

Image via Netflix

While Money Trap: The Karun Treasure might be new to most of the Netflix audience, the Money Trap franchise began with Organize İşler (translated to Magic Carpet Ride in the US) in 2005. The film, written and directed by Erdoğan, saw Asım and his gang for the first time as they make money through car theft, fraud, and other schemes around Istanbul. Their operation seemed to be working like a well-oiled machine when they meet Samet, a failed comedian who Asım encounters while fleeing her angry husband and eventually recruits into his criminal crew.

14 years after the original movie, a sequel movie, titled Organize İşler Sazan Sarmalı (or Money Trap) was released in 2019. The movie followed Asım and his crew as they continued to run their elaborate scams when his daughter, Nazlı (Soral Baş), is herself conned. The incident prompts Asım to go up against a powerful figure in Istanbul's underground gambling world as his daughter becomes adamant that he should abandon his criminal lifestyle altogether.

With all that said, while Money Trap: The Karun Treasure is the first time Asım and his gang will be depicted in a TV show format, the eight-episode series will be a welcomed reboot and sequel, continuing in a universe that's quite familiar to its original viewers. Plus, while viewers of the show don't need to have watched the first two movies to understand the series, the series will bring back beloved characters, follow them in what is seemingly Asım last big score and certainly have a dash of nostalgia. With so much going for it, the series could become Netflix's next international hit.

Cast

• 

  Yılmaz Erdoğan

  Uncredited

• Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ

• Ezgi Mola

• Bensu Soral