Lupin (French TV series)

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Lupin
Lupin logo.png
Genre
Created byGeorge Kay
François Uzan
Based onArsène Lupin
by Maurice Leblanc
Written byGeorge Kay
François Uzan
Directed by
Starring
ComposerMathieu Lamboley
Country of originFrance
Original languageFrench
No. of seasons1 (2 parts)[a]
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
ProducersIsabelle Degeorges
Nathan Franck
Martin Jaubert
CinematographyChristophe Nuyens
Martial Schmeltz
EditorsJean-Daniel Fernandez-Qundez
Richard Marizy
Audrey Simonaud
Running time40-52 minutes
Production companyGaumont Television
DistributorNetflix
Release
Original networkNetflix
Picture format4K (UHDTV)
Audio format5.1 surround sound
Original release8 January 2021 (2021-01-08) –
present
External links
Official website

Lupin is a French mystery thriller streaming television series created by George Kay and François Uzan that premiered on Netflix on 8 January 2021. The series consists of ten episodes, with the first five released in January 2021 and the remainder on 11 June 2021.[2] Netflix has renewed Lupin for a third part.[3]

The show stars Omar Sy in the role of Assane Diop, a man who is inspired by the adventures of master thief Arsène Lupin, a character created by Maurice Leblanc in the early 1900s.[4] The first part, consisting of five episodes, is subtitled Dans l'ombre d'Arsène (In the Shadow of Arsène), referring to the primary character's inspiration.[5][6] The series was watched by 70 million households during its first month, becoming the most-watched non-English series on Netflix.[7]

Synopsis[]

The story follows professional thief Assane Diop, the only son of an immigrant from Senegal who had come to France to seek a better life for his child. Assane's father is framed for the theft of an expensive diamond necklace by his employer, the wealthy and powerful Hubert Pellegrini, and hangs himself in his prison cell out of shame, leaving the teenage Assane an orphan. Twenty-five years later, inspired by a book about gentleman thief Arsène Lupin his father had given him on his birthday, Assane sets out to get revenge on the Pellegrini family, using his charisma and mastery of thievery, subterfuge, and disguise to expose Hubert's crimes.[8][9][10][4]

Cast and characters[]

Main[]

  • Omar Sy as Assane Diop, a modern-day gentleman thief who styles himself after Arsène Lupin and vows to avenge his father's death.
    • Mamadou Haidara as young Assane Diop
  • Ludivine Sagnier as Claire, Assane's estranged wife and the mother of his child, of whom she has full custody.
    • Ludmilla Makowski as young Claire
  • Clotilde Hesme as Juliette Pellegrini, the daughter of wealthy entrepreneur Hubert Pellegrini.
    • Léa Bonneau as young Juliette Pellegrini
  • Nicole Garcia as Anne Pellegrini, Hubert's wife.
  • Hervé Pierre as Hubert Pellegrini, an unscrupulous business tycoon who once employed Assane's father, Babakar.
  • Antoine Gouy as Benjamin Ferel, Assane's best friend from his school days, who currently works as an antiquarian.
    • Adrian Valli de Villebonne as young Benjamin Ferel
  • Fargass Assandé as Babakar Diop, Assane's late father, who was falsely accused of having stolen the Pellegrinis' diamond necklace.
  • Soufiane Guerrab as Youssef Guédira, a detective who uses his knowledge of the Arsène Lupin books to track Assane's activity.
  • Vincent Londez as Captain Romain Laugier, a police captain tasked with retrieving the Pellegrinis' necklace.
  • Shirine Boutella as Lieutenant Sofia Belkacem, a lieutenant detective.
  • Vincent Garanger as Gabriel Dumont, the commissioner of the Paris police department.
    • Johann Dionnet as young Gabriel Dumont
  • Etan Simon as Raoul, the son of Assane and Claire.

Supporting[]

  • Anne Benoît as Fabienne Bériot, a disgraced former journalist who came close to exposing Hubert's misdeeds.
  • Adama Niane as Léonard Koné, an ex-convict and assassin employed by Hubert.
  • Nicolas Wanczycki as Pascal Oblet, an undercover police officer who works closely with Hubert.
  • Stefan Crepon as Philippe Courbet, a young stockbroker who is not all he seems.

Episodes[]

PartSeasonEpisodesOriginally released
1158 January 2021 (2021-01-08)
2511 June 2021 (2021-06-11)

Part 1 (2021)[]

No.
overall		No. in
part		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [11]
11"Chapter 1 - Le Collier de la reine"Louis LeterrierGeorge Kay8 January 2021 (2021-01-08)
Assane Diop plans the theft of a high-priced necklace from the Louvre, which his father was accused of stealing from the Pellegrini family 25 years earlier. He enlists the help of a group of loan sharks to whom he owes money. Under the alias Paul Sernine, Assane attends the auction for the necklace and wins. The loan sharks double-cross him and steal the necklace, but their getaway goes awry and they are arrested. Assane ends up in possession of the necklace. While investigating the case, Youssef Guédira, a police detective, notices it bears resemblance to the stories of Arsène Lupin, then realizes Paul Sernine and Arsène Lupin are anagrams of each other. Assane gives his son Raoul a copy of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar, given to him by his own father, Babakar, who was framed for a previous theft of the same necklace and died in prison.
22"Chapter 2 - L'Illusion"Louis LeterrierGeorge Kay and François Uzan8 January 2021 (2021-01-08)
After Benjamin informs him that the necklace was unlikely to have been taken apart as the Pellegrini family had claimed, Assane begins doubting his father's guilt and confronts Juliette Pellegrini. He gets himself placed in jail so he can speak to Étienne Comet, a man who worked at the prison library during his father's incarceration. A sickly Comet leads Assane to a copy of The Confessions of Arsène Lupin, with annotations from his father spelling out the phrase "I am innocent—framed by Anne Pellegrini". Assane escapes prison and finds Anne, who admits to getting Babakar to sign a false confession at the urging of an Inspector Gabriel Dumont, whom Assane recognizes as the policeman who turned him over to social services. Meanwhile, Youssef continues to investigate the Arsène Lupin connection, happening upon Babakar's case file.
33"Chapter 3 - Le Commissaire Dumont"Louis LeterrierFrançois Uzan8 January 2021 (2021-01-08)
After learning that Inspector Dumont was in charge of the case against his father, Assane kidnaps the now-Commissioner Dumont from City Hall and tries to extract a confession from him about his father's death. Flashing back 25 years, a younger Dumont expresses his doubts about Babakar's guilt. He starts to suspect Hubert Pellegrini, who had recently increased the necklace's insurance policy. Hubert, threatening Dumont's family, convinces him to trick Anne into getting Babakar to sign the confession. In the present, Assane accidentally reveals his identity to Dumont during the course of his interrogation. The police scramble to locate Dumont and Assane escapes just in time. Dumont is rescued but does not reveal any information about the incident. Youssef uncovers Dumont's involvement with the original investigation and connects them to the necklace's theft and the kidnapping.
44"Chapter 4 - Volte-face"Marcela SaidGeorge Kay, François Uzan, and Eliane Montane8 January 2021 (2021-01-08)
Assane finds Dumont again and coerces him into providing more information about Hubert Pellegrini. Dumont gives him the name of Fabienne Bériot, a disgraced former journalist who was blacklisted while investigating the Pellegrinis. Fabienne helps Assane acquire a tape connecting Hubert's arms dealing to a deadly terrorist attack on a French embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Assane anonymously posts an image from the tape on Twitter and threatens to release the video. Hubert denies the accusations, and his henchman Léonard starts stalking Fabienne. Meanwhile, Youssef is taken off the necklace investigation by Dumont, who realizes the detective is coming closer to discovering the truth. After Assane's plan to expose Hubert on live TV goes awry, Juliette Pellegrini, now convinced of her father's innocence, reveals to him that Assane is behind the accusations as well as the theft of the necklace. Léonard attacks Fabienne in her home and Assane later finds her body hanging from the ceiling.
55"Chapter 5 - Étretat"Marcela SaidGeorge Kay and François Uzan8 January 2021 (2021-01-08)
Following Fabienne's death, Assane finds himself pursued by Léonard as well. On Raoul's birthday, Assane gives him a top hat and cape and takes him and Claire on a train trip to a Lupin-themed festival at Étretat. Léonard follows the family onto the train, with orders from Hubert to get rid of Assane but leave his family alone. Assane spots Leonard and manages to lock him in a storage closet, but as the train pulls into its destination, Léonard escapes and sits next to Raoul, which confuses and unnerves Claire. As a last-ditch effort, Assane tells Claire and Raoul to disembark ahead of him and successfully manipulates the local police into arresting Léonard by suggesting that he is Paul Sernine. After Assane catches up, the family makes it to the festival without major incident, but Léonard is released from police custody and kidnaps Raoul on the beach. As Assane and Claire search desperately for Raoul, Youssef appears and calls out to Assane, addressing him quizzically as "Lupin".

Part 2 (2021)[]

No.
overall		No. in
part		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [11]
61"Chapter 6"Ludovic BernardGeorge Kay and François Uzan11 June 2021 (2021-06-11)
Youssef informs Assane and Claire that he saw Raoul struggling with Léonard in a parking lot, and that the two drove away. Claire becomes hysterical and blames Assane for the kidnapping. Youssef, aware that Assane is the man he is searching for, offers to help him chase Léonard down. The two steal a car, leaving Claire in Étretat to call the police, and find that Leonard has taken Raoul to an abandoned mansion in the Normandy countryside. Youssef quietly contacts Sofia Belkacem and asks her for assistance, but Assane ties him up inside the car after revealing that he knows that Youssef is a police officer. Assane enters the house, fights Léonard, and throws him out the window. However, Léonard manages to light his car on fire, with Raoul locked in the boot. When he realizes what has happened, Assane is devastated. A moment later, Belkacem arrives and arrests him.
72"Chapter 7"Ludovic BernardGeorge Kay and François Uzan11 June 2021 (2021-06-11)
The previous night, Youssef manages to untie himself and rescues Raoul from the burning car without Assane's knowledge. Afterwards, he is informed that Dumont wants Raoul taken to the Park Hyatt hotel, where Hubert and Juliette are hosting an event in honor of their foundation. Assane, meanwhile, is immensely relieved when Belkacem tells him that nothing but a soda can was found in the wreckage of Léonard's car. He escapes police custody, steals another car and drives to Paris, where he uses technology that makes his voice sound like Hubert's in order to successfully rescue Raoul. However, unbeknownst to Assane, Claire has uncovered the full truth of his activities after a conversation with Benjamin. Desperate with worry for her son's safety, she visits Hubert and makes a deal to betray Assane to the police in exchange for Raoul's return. Claire is overjoyed when Raoul arrives home, but regrets her previous actions when she sees Assane accompanying him. She manages to tell Assane to escape before he can be caught by the undercover officers in her apartment.
83"Chapter 8"Hugo GélinGeorge Kay and François Uzan11 June 2021 (2021-06-11)
Despite having helped him evade the police, Claire is horrified by the danger that Assane has brought to her child, and cuts off contact with him. Meanwhile, Hubert has begun to work with a new stockbroker named Philippe Courbet, to whom he reveals that he intends to take 85% of the donations to Juliette's foundation for himself. Assane and Benjamin come up with an elaborate plan to weaken Hubert that involves Assane seducing Juliette by taking her on a joyride around Paris and pretending to steal a priceless Pissarro painting for her. Assane manages to convince Juliette to talk to Anne about Hubert's crimes during the 1990s. When Juliette visits her, Anne admits that Hubert hired Babakar with the intention of framing him for the necklace theft. Juliette is shocked and urges Anne to go to the police. After Anne tells Youssef her full story, he and Laugier arrest Hubert under suspicion of fraud and obstruction of justice.
94"Chapter 9"Hugo GélinGeorge Kay and François Uzan11 June 2021 (2021-06-11)
The police are forced to let Hubert go after he calls in a favor from Albert Fontan, the powerful minister of the interior. After his release, Hubert finds out that Benjamin is Assane's accomplice, and arranges to have Léonard murdered in Assane's apartment and to frame Assane for it. When Assane discovers what has happened, he goes on the run and tells Benjamin to do the same before Hubert tips the police off about the location of Benjamin's shop. The pair manage to evade capture using a secret bunker that connects to the Catacombs of Paris. Afterwards, they discuss their plans to reveal Hubert's misdeeds during a concert in honor of Juliette's foundation the following day. Meanwhile, Youssef finds a USB drive among the evidence in Assane's apartment that contains footage of Dumont's interrogation, and more papers that link him to Babakar's case.
105"Chapter 10"Hugo GélinGeorge Kay and François Uzan11 June 2021 (2021-06-11)
Belkacem receives new evidence suggesting that Assane was not Léonard's murderer. Youssef tells her and Laugier about Dumont's corruption, and the three resolve to arrest him at the Pellegrinis' concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet that evening. Philippe, actually an accomplice of Assane and Benjamin, brings several cases of computer equipment into the theater, one of which contains Assane. When the music starts, Assane sneaks into Hubert's private box, holding him at knifepoint and forcing him to confess to framing Babakar for the necklace theft and having both him and Fabienne murdered, being responsible for Raoul's kidnapping, and framing Assane for Leonard's death. After Assane leaves, Hubert's men chase him through the theater, and he is eventually caught by Dumont. However, Laugier, Belkacem and Youssef arrive, arrest Dumont, and temporarily let Assane walk free. Assane makes his way to the stage, where he publicly accuses Hubert of all of his crimes, including stealing from the foundation. The stunned guests begin to leave in a frenzy, and Assane, still wanted for several high-profile offenses, manages to escape with them, disguised as a fireman. He sends Youssef a recording of Hubert's confession, allowing the police to arrest the businessman. Although Assane is recognized by a group of officers, he successfully evades them after stealing a speedboat. He reconciles with Claire and Raoul before going on the run.

Production[]

Filming[]

Filming of the first five episodes was completed primarily in Paris, on various streets and at the Louvre, both inside and out.[12] According to research by Condé Nast Traveler, other important locations included La Naumachie pond at Parc Monceau and Musée Nissim de Camondo on rue de Monceau; the latter stands in as the Pellegrini home and is open to the public.[13] Other listed locations include Collège-lycée Jacques-Decour, a parking garage on Rue d'Abbeville, the Marché Biron flea market, the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Pont des Arts, L'Appartement Saint-Martin (near Porte Saint-Martin), and the Maison d'Arrêt de Bois-d'Arcy prison. The publication adds that parts of the fifth episode were filmed in the town of Étretat, which is located along the coast of Normandy.[14] This location is significant because Maurice Leblanc, who created the character Arsène Lupin, lived in the municipality.[15][16][17]

The second set of five episodes were already filmed by the end of 2020 and were released on 11 June 2021.[18][19]

Marketing[]

A teaser trailer for the second part was released on 5 March 2021.[20][21]

Reception[]

Viewership[]

Lupin is the first French series to rank among the top ten on Netflix in the United States, reaching number three on January 10.[22] It was ranked number one in France and many other countries in Europe, including Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and Sweden, as well as other countries such as Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa.[23]

As of 31 January 2021, the show was watched by 76 million households, making it the second-most-successful debut ever for an original Netflix show, after Bridgerton.[24][25] In April, Netflix revealed that Lupin was the most watched title on the company's streaming service in the first quarter of 2021.[26]

Critical response[]

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first part holds an approval rating of 98% with an average rating of 7.74/10, based on 43 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "Omar Sy effortlessly hits every mark in Lupin, an engrossing espionage thriller that lives up to its source material and then some."[27] On Metacritic, the first part has a score of 82 out of 100 based on 8 reviews.[28]

Writing for The New Paper, Jonathan Roberts stated that "if [Lupin] was a film, it would be a contender for the year's best".[29] Daniel D'Addario of Variety wrote that the cliffhanger at the end of the first series "will leave any viewer who's taken the ride eager for more."[30] Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall praised Sy's performance, writing that "it all works because [he] is so magnetic and charming that questioning plot logic feels wildly besides the point."[31] Karen Han of Slate wrote that Lupin "doesn't waste a single minute, packing each and every moment full of suspense".[32]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Some publications refer to "part" as "season".[1]

References[]

  1. ^ Burt, Kayti (11 May 2021). "Netflix's Lupin Season 2 Release Date and Trailer: When Is Part 2 Coming Out?". Den of Geek. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  2. ^ "France's most wanted gentleman is back. Lupin Part 2 premieres June 11". Twitter. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  3. ^ Powster. "assane-diop.com / Lupin Pt. 2 / Netflix". assane-diop.com / Lupin Pt. 2 / Netflix. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "The trailer for Netflix's Lupin introduces a new gentleman thief". polygon.com. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Netflix's 'Lupin' Becomes First French Series to Debut on Streame's U.S. Top Ten List". Deadline. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Omar Sy's Lupin Most Popular Ever French Show on Netflix". Connexion France. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021l.
  7. ^ Ravindran, Manori (21 January 2021). "'Lupin' Will Be Seen By 70 Million Subscribers, Netflix Claims". Variety. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Netflix Releases Premiere Date and Trailer for 'Lupin' Starring Omar Sy (TV News Roundup)". variety.com. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Lupin trailer offers a fresh retelling of classic French gentleman thief". arstechnica.com. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Lupin Trailer: Omar Sy Stars in Netflix's New Heist Series". comingsoon.net. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b "Lupin – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  12. ^ "The Cast of Netflix's Lupin Got to Spend a Night in the Louvre Museum". Men's Health. 24 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Filming Locations for LUPIN on Netflix". Untapped Cities. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  14. ^ "WHERE IS 'LUPIN' FILMED?". Condé Nast Traveler. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Netflix's 'Lupin' Is a Riff on Maurice Leblanc's Classic 'Gentleman Burglar'". Marie Claire. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  16. ^ "One to Watch: Omar Sy will steal your heart in new Netflix's Lupin". Explore France. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Le Clos Arsène Lupin". Brittany Ferries. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  18. ^ "The Second Part of Lupin Will Premiere This Summer". Oprah Mag. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021. We won't have to wait for the series's creators, George Kay and François Uzan, to write and film new episodes
  19. ^ Kanter, Jake (5 March 2021). "'Lupin': Netflix Drops Teaser Trailer For Part 2 Of Hit French Series". Deadline. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  20. ^ Kanter, Jake (5 March 2021). "'Lupin': Netflix Drops Teaser Trailer For Part 2 Of Hit French Series". Deadline. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  21. ^ Romano, Nick (5 March 2021). "'Lupin' Part 2 teaser shows the aftermath of that cliffhanger ending". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  22. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (11 January 2011). "Netflix's 'Lupin' Becomes First French Series To Debut On Streamer's U.S. Top Ten List". Deadline.
  23. ^ Scott, Sheena (14 January 2021). "'Lupin' Is Netflix's Most Popular French Series". Forbes.
  24. ^ Leonard, Devin (28 June 2021). "How Netflix's Lupin Pulled Off the Perfect Heist (Show)". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  25. ^ "This is the most-watched show on Netflix right now and it's not what you think". Vogue. 31 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021. that’s more than The Queen’s Gambit and approaching Bridgerton levels of success
  26. ^ Porter, Rick; McClintock, Pamela. "'Lupin' snatches top Netflix viewing spot in first quarter". Hollywood Reporter.
  27. ^ "Lupin: Season 1 (2021) - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  28. ^ "Lupin: Season 1 - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  29. ^ Roberts, Jonathan (27 January 2021). "TV review: Lupin". The New Paper. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  30. ^ D'Addario, Daniel (8 January 2021). "'Lupin' Is Assured Francophone Fun With a Great Omar Sy: TV Review". Variety. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  31. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (25 January 2021). "'Lupin': Mastering the Art of the Steal". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  32. ^ Han, Karen (8 January 2021). "Netflix's Lupin Should Be Its Next International Hit". Slate. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 27 February 2021.

External links[]

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