Netflix Renews Popular Series for Season 8

The Netflix original series Elite just got renewed for an eighth season, making it the longest-running Spanish-language scripted series on the platform. Netflix has become infamous for abrupt cancellations, but this teen drama has weathered it all and is still going strong. However, the cast will see some changes in the new season.

Deadline reported the renewal of Elite on Wednesday along with the news that actors Ane Rote and Nuno Gallego are joining the cast. Mina el Hammani as Nadia will move up from a recurring role to a main cast member. This news comes a few months ahead of the Season 7 premiere, so fans may need to wait and see those episodes before all the news about Season 8 adds up.

Elite was created by Carlos Montero and Darío Madrona, and is about the lives of students at a fictional prestigious high school – Las Encinas. It follows three working-class students who are only enrolled thanks to scholarship programs, and their struggle to fit in with their wealthy classmates. The show is known for playing with the tropes of the TV drama genre to make some meta-commentary.

It is also known for its incredibly fast turn around time. Elite premiered in 2018 and has released a new season every year since, even through the COVID-19 pandemic. New seasons came out less than a year apart, gradually pushing the series from a fall premiere schedule to the spring. Finally, in 2022, the show got two seasons out within one year.

Elite stars Ander Puig, Carmen Arrufat, Álvaro de Juana, Ana Bokesa, Álex Pastrana, André Lamoglia, Valentina Zenere, Carla Díaz, Martina Cariddi, Adam Nourou and Manu Ríos. Mirela Balic, Fernando Líndez, Gleb Abrosimov, Ivan Mendes, Alejandro Albarracin and Maribel Verdu. It is produced internationally, meaning that work on the show can continue in spite of the Hollywood labor strikes impacting the U.S. right now.

Even with only eight episodes each, eight seasons is quite an achievement for a Netflix original series. Many fans have mourned the loss of at least one personal favorite Netflix series by now as the streamer moves fast to cut shows as soon as they are not bringing in new audience members. To have lasted this long, Elite had to grow continually. The series is streaming now on Netflix, and is available with English subtitles. Season 7 is scheduled to premiere on Oct. 28, 2023.