Netflix in Oviedo’s Cathedral: Why the Cathedral Rejects “La Regenta”

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Netflix in Oviedo’s Cathedral: Why the Cathedral Rejects “La Regenta”.

Netflix wanted to film “La Regenta” inside Oviedo Cathedral—and received a clear no from the local cathedral chapter. The chapter itself rejects the planned filming as “inappropriate”. For the new Netflix adaptation starring Ester Expósito and Oriol Pla, that means the production clearly cannot begin as planned at this location as long as the cathedral chapter maintains its decision.

The center of the conflict is not the temple’s infrastructure, but the content of the novel. The dean of the cathedral considers its portrayal of the Catholic Church to be an attack on it. The cathedral chapter is therefore refusing to allow a platform to work on a project that, according to El País, is among Netflix’s major investments.

Why the Cathedral Chapter Rejects “La Regenta”

The dean’s reasoning

The dean justifies the rejection by saying that the novel is “an attack on the Church.” This wording turns the refusal to grant filming permission into a statement about the content: The cathedral chapter is opposed not only to the specific use of its premises, but also to the portrayal of the institution in the work.

The novel is “an attack on the Church.”

For Netflix and the crews involved in the project, this means a clear hurdle. The lead actors named in the title, Ester Expósito and Oriol Pla, are part of an adaptation that the source describes as one of the platform’s major bets. The casting alone does not trigger the rejection. In the dean’s view, the novel’s relationship to the Church is the decisive factor.

The report gives neither a precise filming start date nor explains what implications the decision would have for the entire production. What is clear, according to El País, is this: Netflix is set to film in the temple in Oviedo, and the cathedral chapter rejects the plan.

Earlier Adaptations Were Filmed at the Same Location

The most striking contradiction

There is, however, another aspect that makes the decision appear in a different light. According to El País, earlier versions of “La Regenta” were already produced at the same church location by Gonzalo Suárez and Fernando Méndez-Leite. The location was therefore not fundamentally off-limits for the story.

The available information makes it clear that there must be a difference between the earlier adaptations and the current film. According to its own statement, the cathedral chapter does not reject every use of the temple, but the current “La Regenta” project. The report does not explain why the earlier filming was possible or why Netflix is now being treated differently. Nor does it provide an explanation from Netflix or suggest an alternative for the planned cathedral scenes.

This gap matters. The decision ends the possibility of filming at this specific location, but says nothing about the entire production schedule. The available information is limited to the cathedral chapter’s clear no, the dean’s reasoning, and the indication that earlier adaptations were already filmed there.

What the Rejection Means for the Netflix Project

The production must revise its filming locations

For the crew, the decision initially means a change in planning. The planned filming at Oviedo Cathedral has not been approved because of the cathedral chapter’s objection. The source does not reveal how many scenes were intended for the cathedral or whether production had already begun.

The immediate impact on audiences also remains limited: The report cites neither a delayed release date nor the cancellation of the project. It describes the rejection of filming at one location—not the end of the entire Netflix adaptation.

The contrast between the earlier filming and the current objection nevertheless remains unusual. The fact that “La Regenta” was already filmed in this church setting does not make the description “inappropriate” meaningless. It merely makes it more specific: The cathedral chapter is directing its rejection at this project, not at the novel’s historical connection to the location.

A Church Project Between Market Logic and Representation of Faith

The case reveals a sharp contrast. On one side is a commercial project that is betting on a major platform and promising attention with two well-known actors. On the other is a church body assessing the adaptation based on how the novel portrays the Church.

The strongest counterargument comes from the same report’s reference to the earlier adaptations: The temple was already part of the film history of “La Regenta.” The cathedral chapter’s strongest defense, meanwhile, is the dean’s statement that the novel is an attack on the Church.

For you as a viewer, the central message remains clear: Following the cathedral chapter’s objection, the new Netflix adaptation of “La Regenta” will not be filmed inside Oviedo Cathedral. The report does not reveal how the project will be implemented without this filming location.