Lupine: The Most Viewed Series In Netflix History

Lupine – the French Netflix series – stages a quick, skillful escape in which the viewer doesn’t have time to get bored. This TV series created by the British George Kay is inspired by the French literary character Arsenio Lupine. Its creation dates back to 1905, over 115 years ago, by the writer Maurice Leblanc.

French leading actor Omar Sy stands out from his stage colleagues. The character he plays is Assane Diop, a swindler with a heart of gold capable of transforming his bulky presence into a trick with which he suddenly disappears. A tireless master of deception.

The first season of the series consists of five episodes of approximately 43 minutes each. Within a week of its release, it was the second most viewed series on Netflix and the first most viewed French series in the history of the platform.

It is currently the most watched series: it hit 70 million houses in the first six months, surpassing Bridgerton and The Chess Queen . 

For what reasons did Lupine manage to cross the borders of France?

From the start it was clear that the series would be a success in France, where the character of Lupine is a cultural symbol reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes. More than one successful television series bears his name between 1971 and 1974 and there is also a 2004 film starring Romain Duris.

We are talking about a largely unknown character in the US and, despite the usual reluctance of Americans to watch television shows with subtitles, Lupine’s success is unprecedented. It followed in the footsteps of non-English-speaking world hits, such as The Paper House , which was seen by 65 million viewers at the time of its fourth season’s launch in April 2020.

But how did it manage to become the most watched series in Netflix history? How did it attract over 70 million people in the first month alone, with such a distinctive story? Let’s analyze some possible reasons.

Omar Sy, the protagonist

One of the main reasons why the series has been so successful is to be found in the lead actor Omar Sy. His astounding success in Almost Friends had already made him a phenomenon in his country, France, and around the world. Until that time, Omar shared a quiet life with his girlfriend and their four children.

He had taken part in successful French series, such as Service après-vente des éemissions , on Canal +, but nothing compares to the success that Almost Friends would have given him .

From that moment, he started working with French and international productions and his fame was established, but there was the desire to return to see him in “a role to his height”.

His character, Assane Diop, is able to stealthily escape and go unnoticed anywhere. He cunningly chooses clothing that distracts witnesses.

But nothing to do with tight hiding places, as Omar Sy is over two meters tall. Moreover, he can count on a smile that can compete in intensity and size with that of Julia Roberts.

Lupine : A Story of Revenge and Justice

Sy’s natural charisma knows no bounds and the fact that she plays a thief seeking justice only adds to her charm, disguise after disguise and makeup after makeup. Arsenio Lupine is a literary character who inspires Assane Diop (Sy) who, as a teenager, had received the first of Lupin’s mysteries as a gift from his father.

Now an adult, he uses Arsenio Lupine’s anagrams as pseudonyms – for example, Paul Serrine – while scoring one hit after another. His goal is to steal a necklace once owned by Queen Marie Antoinette.

That necklace had been bought at auction by the Pellegrini family and its alleged theft resulted in the arrest of Assane’s father. This arrest led the man to commit suicide shortly thereafter.

It is not about the necklace, but about discovering the truth and making sure that the man responsible for his father’s death finally ends up in the hands of justice.

Lupine : A Senegalese who plays a classic of French literature

Assane is a Senegalese immigrant and his background plays an important role in the plot. The father was a black man “just landed”, according to the police. Therefore, it is difficult to prove his innocence when against him there is a wealthy white man (who refers to him as a “monkey”).

This led to the case being covered up and Assane, in pursuit of justice, makes sure that the mostly white people he is deceiving could be accused of racism if they indict him. The series tackles this issue in an ingenious way.

The world – at least the one in power – has always taken something away from Assane. Obviously the idea of ​​being a gentleman thief attracts him and he thinks he has valid reasons for resorting to not-so-legal methods to obtain justice.

Lupine, a gentleman thief with Paris in the background

The series, created by George Kay in collaboration with François Uzan and with talents of the caliber of Louis Leterrie in the role of director, is very elegant. In his hiding place, Assane sits in a giant mask-shaped chair. Everything is stylish and design.

Everything is perfect with the extraordinary landscape of the City of Lights in the background : the café where Assane meets his wife Claire (Ludivine Sagnier) in the first episode, which is actually called L’Appartment Saint-Marin, is dazzling. Port Saint Martin, from the 17th century.

Also fascinating is the market where Assan’s best friend has an antiques shop located in Marché Biron, north of Paris. The fifth episode then takes us from Paris to the Normandy coast, in a city called Le Havre. Here is an annual festival dedicated to Arsenius Lupine, where everyone dresses up as the character in the top hat.

An intrigue that is easy to discover

Series creator George Kay is no stranger to the intrigue genre ; in fact, he has created several series of the suspense genre, under the banner of crimes: we are talking about Criminal UK, Criminal France also about his collaboration in the drafting of series such as The Tunnel and Killing Eve.

Kay takes inspiration from a classic material to create the main character, but then twists and modernizes it to fit the modern audience. He retains the instinct of creative thugs and adventurers who collide with the system, but takes advantage of what he likes best about books, twists it to make it modern and create an avant-garde story.

A skill that brought freshness to the plot. There is a parallel story between Assane and the detective team, most notably with Yousef Guedira (Soufiane Guerrab), and which culminates in the fifth episode of this first season. Everything comes back and makes the series smooth and pleasant to watch.