If you are familiar with HBO International content, then perhaps you are aware of the dramatic series 4 BLOCKS? If not, be patient, because you’re about to get schooled. We mention it because a prequel series to that German production is about to land on HBO Max. It is 4 BLOCKS ZERO, which arrives on Friday, September 25.
But first, a moment about the original series. 4 BLOCKS, which can be found on HBO MAX, is a dramatic series out of Germany that ran for three seasons. It stars Kida Khodr Ramadan as Ali “Toni” Hamadi, the leader of a drug cartel in Berlin. The real boss of the organized crime family Toni is a part of his uncle Ibrahim, who has largely withdrawn from the business but still gives the important orders in the background. Toni, however, is dissatisfied with his role and wishes to be able to lead a life without crime with his wife Kalila and daughter Serin. When rival competition and police pressure force the Hamadi’s hand, Toni is forced to stay involved in maintaining control of his four blocks of territory. He does so for 19 episodes from 2017-2019.
Fast approaching now is 4 BLOCKS ZERO. Set in 1990s Berlin, this prequel explores the early years of the Hamady family. Having fled from Lebanon with his four children and mother-in-law, Malik Hamady (Rami Fadel Khalaf) attempts to provide a better life for his family in Germany but struggles to gain a foothold amid prejudice and the challenges of daily life. When his brother-in-law Ibrahim (Tariq Al-Saies) is released from prison after eight years and joins the rest of the family, his dangerous secret sets off a chain reaction. As Ibrahim is drawn deeper into the criminal underworld, the Hamadys’ values are put to the ultimate test, jeopardizing their safety and everything they’ve worked towards to secure a new future.
It is tagged as “the beginning you’ve never seen”. In the multiple award-winning German cult series 4 BLOCKS, the Hamady family owned Berlin. But how did they rise to become the city’s most influential clan? Starting September 25, the prequel 4 BLOCKS ZERO travels back to where it all began. With new episodes rolling out weekly, the eight-part crime drama tells the story of a family caught between bureaucracy, politics, and social exclusion, determined to build a new life in Germany. Check out the teaser –
