Everything We Know About Lupin Season 3 And The Return Of Netflix's Heist Series
Does Hollywood even know what to do with Omar Sy? (This is a rhetorical question, as you no doubt worked out.) For years, the captivating and charismatic French actor has been relegated to, at best, minor roles in tentpoles like "Captain America: The First Avenger," "X-Men: Days of Future Past," and the "Jurassic World" trilogy. He put his charms and comedy skills to work as a dog-loving mail carrier in "The Call of the Wild," but beyond that, Sy is basically a no-name in the eyes of your average U.S. moviegoer.
Thank goodness, then, for "Lupin," the Netflix heist thriller show that's almost single-handedly made Sy a known entity in the U.S. It's a bit surprising it's taken off, too, given its source material. The French TV series centers on Assane Diop (Sy), a cunning master of disguise and expert thief seeking payback against Hubert Pellegrini (Hervé Pierre) — the slimy business tycoon who framed Assane's late father and got him sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Assane's calling card is that he presents himself as being a "gentleman thief" in the manner of his favorite literary character, Arsène Lupin.
Created by Maurice Leblanc in 1905, the antihero Arsène Lupin has never fully gained traction among U.S. readers. Fortunately, that hasn't prevented Sy's nimble crime caper from catching on with Netflix subscribers the world over, with a third installment of "Lupin" now on the way. Here's everything we know about season 3 so far.
When we can expect to see Lupin season 3
"Lupin" season 1, aka Part 1, bowed in early January 2021, at a time when COVID-19 vaccines had just barely started to become available to the general public. With most people still staying home as much as possible and turning to streaming as their sole source of entertainment, the show immediately made its way onto Netflix's Top 10 list. Season 1 wound up being viewed by a reported 76 million households, which was easily more than enough to make it Netflix's biggest non-English language import at the time. (Keep in mind that this was pre-"Squid Game.")
Season 2/Part 2 was no slouch when it dropped the following June either, with some 54 million households tuning in this time. Still, the drop-off in viewership between seasons was substantial — not because word of mouth was bad (on the contrary, both critics and casual viewers seemed just as positive on season 2 as season 1), but because it signaled that interest in the show had already peaked. That would explain why Netflix has since elected to release season 3/Part 3 on October 5, 2023, a slower period for both streaming and theatrical releases relative to the early summer frame where season 2 bowed.
What Lupin season 3 will be about
By the end of "Lupin" season 2, Assane had successfully tricked Pellegrini into confessing his vile misdeeds out loud as Assane secretly recorded him, ultimately landing Pellegrini in police custody. It was a bittersweet victory though. Having committed numerous crimes himself over the course of his attempt to expose Pellegrini, Assane bid his estranged wife and son a tearful goodbye (in the process apologizing for all the heartache his actions has caused them) before vanishing into the night, still a fugitive from the law.
That being the case, season 3 will see Assane using his unique skills to keep a low profile rather than seeking revenge, all the while hatching a plan to leave Paris in his rearview mirror and start anew elsewhere ... assuming his family will agree to join him. Hopefully, changing things up this way will keep "Lupin" feeling fresh as it continues to deliver more of the exhilarating twists and turns that made the first two seasons such a sprightly delight. (Not to mention, the sharp social commentary on race and class, as well as the humor stemming from Assane's more elaborate feats of misdirection.)
The creative team behind Lupin season 3
"Lupin" creators George Kay and François Uzan will continue to serve as the show's head writers in season 3, which should at least ensure some consistency with the previous seasons in terms of their storytelling quality. Prolific French action filmmaker Louis Leterrier — currently in the process of bringing the mainline "Fast & Furious" movies to a close, starting with "Fast X" — also helped to establish the template for the series with his efforts behind the camera on season 1. Other directors have done a fine job of emulating his agile visuals and dynamic editing style since then, so hopefully season 3's as-yet-unknown helmers will only continue to maintain that sense of panache.
Elsewhere, Omar Sy will once again provide all the "gentlemanly" charm he can muster (plus a side of vulnerability) as Assane Diop in season 3, with Ludivine Sagnier and Etan Simon also returning as Assane's teen sweetheart-turned-significant other Claire and her and Assane's son, Raoul, respectively. As for Hubert Pellegrini (Hervé Pierre), he might be down for the count but he's far from out. It's just one more thing Assane needs to worry about, as though his face being plastered all over the Parisian daily news wasn't enough. The game is afoot once more!
Lupin season 3 trailer and synopsis
Now in hiding, Assane must learn to live far from his wife and son. With the suffering they endure because of him, Assane can't stand it any longer and decides to return to Paris to make them a crazy proposal: leave France and start a new life elsewhere. But the ghosts of the past are never far away, and an unexpected return will turn his plans upside down.