Paco León and Carmen Machi defend Aída y vuelta: "It's not a long episode, it's faithful to the essence of Aída"

The creators of the popular series' cinematic return tease potent jokes and a meta-narrative proposal that mixes fiction and reality, despite criticism from some fans

of january 22, 2026 at 11:50h
EuropaPress 7233999 carmen machi miren ibarguren pepe viyuela mariano pena melani olivares
EuropaPress 7233999 carmen machi miren ibarguren pepe viyuela mariano pena melani olivares

On **January 30**, *Aída y vuelta* arrives in theaters, the film that marks the return of the universe of the celebrated series *Aída* more than a decade after its finale, and **Paco León** and **Carmen Machi** have defended the project's approach with conviction at its official presentation. Instead of presenting a traditional sequel—a "long episode" as many fans expected—the film proposes a **metafiction** in which the actors play themselves while fictitiously recreating the filming of a new episode of the series.

Even before seeing the movie, there are a lot of people protesting against it and saying: ‘You’re a piece of shit, imbecile’ and that I’ve ruined Aída by not making a long episode,” explained León, who played Luisma in the original series. Despite the mixed opinions, the director clarified that he decided not to opt for a conventional continuation because “the point isn’t to make more of Aída production, but to be faithful to its essence,” and that sometimes “you have to change the form” to achieve it.

León announced that the film contains **"very strong jokes, on the edge of taste"** and that it couldn't be a **"censored"** version of what the audience remembers, emphasizing that the comedy retains the irreverent spirit that characterized the series. For Machi, who played the protagonist for eight years, seeing the actors play themselves allows the viewer to **distinguish between the character and the person**, dismantling the frequent assimilation the audience makes between the two. This return not only brings back a large part of the original cast—such as **Miren Ibarguren** or **Eduardo Casanova**—but also explores with humor and affection the **relationships between the performers and the collective nostalgia** that has accompanied *Aída* since its premiere.

As a **bonus for fans**, Paco León and Carmen Machi exclusively revealed on *El Hormiguero* that the film includes an **additional episode of the series**, accessible **via a QR code** that will appear on the cinema screen during the end credits. This extra content will allow fans to continue enjoying the humor and essence of *Aída* beyond the big screen.

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