The center of San Lorenzo de El Escorial experienced temporary road closures in areas such as Plaza de la Constitución, Floridablanca, and Calle del Rey due to the filming. During the shoot, the flags of the Community of Madrid and the municipality itself were temporarily replaced by the ikurriña, the official flag of the Basque Country, alongside the flag of Spain, on the facade of the Town Hall.
This transformation is because San Lorenzo de El Escorial is serving as a location for a new international production. Although there is no official confirmation, details suggest it is the Apple TV+ series Safe Houses, which will feature Ana de Armas and Jennifer Connelly.
The San Sebastian atmosphere extended beyond the town hall, with ikurriñas adorning balconies of several homes. Local establishments also adapted, such as the well-known Ku4tro in Plaza de la Constitución, which became the fictional Itxasalde Jetetxea, a seafood restaurant. On Floridablanca street, traditional kiosks displayed names in Euskera, offering pintxos, txakoli, and typical Basque souvenirs. Even the establishment Don Felipe was transformed into the tavern Kafe Hutsa, and local signage appeared in Euskera.
The series Safe Houses is an eight-episode espionage thriller that tells the story of Sofía Jiménez, a fugitive agent played by Ana de Armas, accused of murdering a high-ranking CIA official in Madrid. Jennifer Connelly portrays Ambassador Elizabeth Winthrop, the victim's widow. Both will investigate the crime from opposing perspectives, uncovering a dangerous international conspiracy. The production is inspired by the novel of the same name by Dan Fesperman, with script and supervision by Gideon Raff, and the first episodes directed by Otto Bathurst.
This is not the only filming in the town, as San Lorenzo de El Escorial will also host the shooting of Sira, the sequel to El tiempo entre costuras, starring Adriana Ugarte. The series, which has already begun filming in various locations, will once again use the municipality as a setting, as it did with the original adaptation of María Dueñas' novel between 2013 and 2014.
