4 Blocks Zero is an eight-part HBO Original prequel to the German crime drama 4 Blocks. It premieres on HBO Max in Germany on September 25, 2026, with new episodes scheduled weekly on Fridays. Rather than continuing the original series after its ending, the prequel goes back to 1990s Berlin to show how the Hamady family established itself after fleeing Lebanon.
The 4 Blocks Zero cast includes Tareq Nassery as young Ali, who later becomes known as Toni Hamady, Rami Fadel Khalaf as father Malik, Soufiane El Mesaudi as Abbas and Tariq Al-Saies as Uncle Ibrahim. The younger family also includes Marwan, Amara, grandmother Hanin and cousin Latif.
4 Blocks Zero at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Premiere | September 25, 2026 |
| Streaming home | HBO Max in Germany |
| Episodes | 8 |
| Release pattern | Weekly on Fridays |
| Setting | Berlin in the 1990s |
| Story | The early years of the Hamady family before the original 4 Blocks series |
| Young Ali | Tareq Nassery |
| Creators / production | W&B Television; directed by Özgür Yıldırım and Hüseyin Tabak |
Who is in the 4 Blocks Zero cast?
The prequel recasts the Hamady family at an earlier point in their lives. Tareq Nassery plays Ali, the younger man who will eventually be known as Toni Hamady. Rami Fadel Khalaf plays the family patriarch Malik, while Soufiane El Mesaudi plays Ali’s brother Abbas. Tariq Al-Saies has a major role as Ibrahim, Ali’s uncle, whose arrival after years in prison helps trigger the chain of events pulling the family toward Berlin’s underworld.
4 Blocks Zero cast and Hamady family
| Actor | Character | Who they are |
|---|---|---|
| Tareq Nassery | Ali Hamady | The younger Ali, who will later become known as Toni Hamady. |
| Rami Fadel Khalaf | Malik Hamady | Ali’s father, trying to support the family while working as an unskilled cook. |
| Soufiane El Mesaudi | Abbas Hamady | Ali’s brother and a central member of the younger Hamady family. |
| Tariq Al-Saies | Ibrahim | Ali’s uncle, whose arrival in Berlin after eight years in prison changes the family’s path. |
| Almountaser “Monty” Alchltouh | Marwan | One of Malik’s younger children. |
| Siana Zayed | Amara | One of Malik’s younger children. |
| Fatima Khanfour | Hanin | The Hamady grandmother. |
| Mohammad Eliraqui | Latif | A cousin within the extended Hamady family. |
What is 4 Blocks Zero about?
The original 4 Blocks introduced the Hamadys as an established criminal family in Berlin. Zero asks how that position was created. In the 1990s, the family is trying to build a life in Germany while facing insecure residency, bureaucracy, discrimination and financial pressure.
Malik works as an unskilled cook while raising Ali, Abbas, Marwan and Amara. The balance changes when his brother-in-law Ibrahim arrives in the city after spending eight years in prison. Warner Bros. Discovery’s official synopsis says his return sets off a dangerous chain reaction that draws the family into criminal business and tests the values holding them together.
Is 4 Blocks Zero Season 4 of 4 Blocks?
No. 4 Blocks Zero is a prequel, not Season 4. It goes backward in time and uses younger actors to portray characters from the Hamady family’s past. That means viewers can expect connections to the original series, but the new show has its own starting point and historical context.
Who is young Ali in 4 Blocks Zero?
Tareq Nassery plays young Ali Hamady. Warner Bros. Discovery explicitly identifies him as the character who later becomes Toni Hamady. That makes Ali the clearest bridge between the prequel and the original series.
Who is Ibrahim?
Tariq Al-Saies plays Ibrahim, Ali’s uncle. The official setup describes him arriving in Berlin after eight years in prison. His return becomes a turning point for the family and helps push the story from a struggle for stability into contact with the city’s criminal underworld.
How many episodes are in 4 Blocks Zero?
The prequel has eight episodes. HBO Max Germany plans to release new episodes on Fridays starting September 25, 2026.
Where can you watch 4 Blocks Zero?
The confirmed launch is on HBO Max in Germany. Because this is a regional European release, availability outside Germany may differ and can change as distribution deals are announced. It is safer to check the local HBO Max or Warner Bros. Discovery listing than assume a worldwide same-day launch.
Do you need to watch 4 Blocks first?
The prequel is designed to explain how the Hamadys became the family viewers know from 4 Blocks, so the basic setup can work for newcomers. Existing fans will have extra context because names such as Ali, Abbas and Latif already carry meaning. If you enjoy crime-family ensemble guides, see our Blood Coast Netflix cast guide and The Debt Collector cast guide.
The Hamady family before they became powerful
Zero begins from a very different place than the original series. The Hamadys are not introduced as a family that controls territory and commands fear. They are trying to establish a life while dealing with insecure residency, limited work options and social exclusion. That makes the prequel less about maintaining power and more about showing the pressures, choices and relationships that eventually lead toward it.
The younger Hamady siblings
Ali and Abbas are the most immediately recognizable names for returning fans, but the official family lineup also includes younger siblings Marwan and Amara. Their presence matters because the show is presenting the Hamady story as a family drama, not only as the origin of two men who later become central to organized crime.
Who is Malik Hamady?
Malik is the father trying to hold the household together. Warner Bros. Discovery describes him working as an unskilled cook while the family attempts to gain stability in Germany. His position gives the prequel a different generational viewpoint from the original series. The decisions that affect Ali and Abbas are also decisions that affect a father responsible for several children.
Who else appears in the cast?
Beyond the Hamadys, Luis Vorbach plays Vince Kerner, and the wider ensemble includes Bella Dayne, Mohamed Kanj Khamis, Jule Hermann, Sevda Polat, Samir Salim, Enno Trebs and Mark Waschke. Warner Bros. Discovery has not attached detailed English-language character descriptions to every supporting actor yet, so this guide keeps the focus on roles that have been officially identified.
Who made 4 Blocks Zero?
W&B Television produces the HBO Original. Özgür Yıldırım and Hüseyin Tabak direct, while the writing team includes head writer Bernd Lange with Bahar Bektaş, Natalie Zoghbi and Hassan Akkouch. Several names have connections to the original 4 Blocks production, which should help the prequel retain continuity in tone even with a younger cast and earlier time period.
Why the 1990s Berlin setting is important
The prequel takes place during a period of major social and political change in Germany. The official material emphasizes bureaucracy, discrimination and uncertain legal status as pressures on the family. Those details are not simply background decoration. They explain the environment in which the Hamadys make choices that gradually connect them to the criminal world.
What longtime 4 Blocks fans should watch for
The main attraction is not only discovering where Toni came from. Viewers can compare the younger versions of Ali and Abbas with the men they become, see how family loyalties are formed and understand why certain names or relationships carry so much weight later. Because it is a prequel, the suspense comes less from asking whether the Hamadys will become powerful and more from seeing the exact path that gets them there.
FAQs
4 Blocks Zero premieres on September 25, 2026, on HBO Max in Germany.
Yes. It is an eight-part prequel showing the Hamady family in 1990s Berlin before the events of the original 4 Blocks.
Tareq Nassery plays Ali Hamady, who later becomes known as Toni Hamady.
Rami Fadel Khalaf plays Malik, the father of Ali, Abbas, Marwan and Amara.
The HBO Original has eight episodes, with a weekly Friday release planned in Germany.
The confirmed September 25 launch is for HBO Max in Germany. Availability in other countries can differ by local distribution.