Back in 2013 when Netflix launched House of Cards, the service’s first original series, it barely had set a foot in Europe. Since then Netflix has gone on to become one of the continent’s biggest TV networks constantly putting out great content, like its most recent worldwide hit series Lupin.
The French mystery heist plot in Lupin combines comedy and drama elements to revive Maurice Leblanc’s short stories and novel character Arsène Lupin, a savvy gentleman thief that uses his trickery to get away with some impressive feats worthy of Ocean’s Eleven. This modern take starred by Omar Sy’s (The Intouchables), instead puts the main character Assane Diop, the son of a Senegalese immigrant who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit on a quest for the truth all while using all the deception plays he learned from reading Arsène Lupin novels as a kid.
Like most heist plots, Lupin has turned out to be a phenomenal success with Netflix calculating over 70 million households will have seen the series, placing it over other highly-streamed shows like Cobra Kai, The Queen’s Gambit or Bridgerton, after only premiering on January 8. This also puts Lupin as the first massively successful French export distributed by Netflix as it's climbed all the way to the U.S. top 10 with a second season already on the way.
Fully titled Lupin: Dans L’Ombre D’Arsène (Lupin: In Arsène’s Shadow) and only 5 episodes long, it features directing from Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk) for its three episodes and ends with Narcos’ Marcela Said directing the final two. This is hardly Arsène Lupin’s first foray into mass media, as the character is incredibly popular in France and has been featured in comic books, animated series, and several films since his creation over 100 years ago.
As Netflix’s own data from 2020 shows, U.S. audiences are growing more fond of non-English productions such as Narcos, Dark, and Money Heist, proving Netflix’s big bets on overseas content can pay off handsomely all over the world and not just with its 9 million subscribers in France.
With worldwide appeal, an intriguing plot plus great reception from critics and audiences, Lupin is very much worth watching solely on the grounds of its fantastic Parisian scenery and constant twist and tricks which along Sy’s performance continue to charm viewers.
Source: Variety