That record, Maurice Leblanc ’ s Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar, provides a roadmap of sorts to a young Assane. While Netflix ’ south Lupin is not a hard-and-fast adaptation of this book, it uses Leblanc ’ second shape and his central character to inform many of Assane ’ randomness choices and motivations—as is noted early on by a grok patrol detective whose coworkers refuse to take his theories seriously. The Lupin books are quite popular in France, but are less known in other parts of the world. here ’ s what you need to know about them, a well as the biography of their author and the many adaptations of Lupin that predate the Netflix serial. Read more: If TV Is the New Film, We Need More Shows Like Lupin
What to know about the Lupin books and their author Maurice Leblanc
In 1905, writer Maurice Leblanc first introduced the world to his fabricated french thief with the publication of his short report “ The Arrest of Arsène Lupin. ” The character went on to appear in 17 novels and 39 novellas in narratives that detailed a wide-eyed range of adventures and mischief. several of those stories were used as inspiration for the Netflix serial, with some plot points taken directly from the text. Leblanc released his beginning solicitation of short stories, Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar, in 1907. This is the lapp book that Assane receives as a child from his forefather in the first sequence of Lupin. “ He could have picked ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo, ’ he could have picked a draw of other french books, [ but ] that ’ s the one he chose for his son in that moment and it becomes a guidebook for an attitude for life, ” Lupin godhead George Kay told Variety in January. In the lapp sequence, years later, Assane gifts the like transcript to his son Raoul. Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar consists of eight brusque stories that showcase Lupin ’ s skills as a thief and his many heists. In one, “ The Queen ’ s Necklace, ” which bears similarities to the plotline regarding the royal necklace in episode one, Leblanc reveals that Lupin pulled off his first gear burglary at good six years old. Though it ’ second centered on stealing the firearm of jewelry, this report is different from what happens in Lupin : in Leblanc ’ s story, Lupin steals from his cousin, the Duke of Dreux-Soubise, and there is no big armed robbery pulled off at the Louvre ( like in the indicate ). There ’ south besides “ The Escape of Arsène Lupin, ” which seems to have inspired Assane ’ s escape from prison in the second base episode of the series. Almost all of the Lupin books were published in the first half of the twentieth century, and were enormously successful in France. The concluding installment of the Lupin books, The Last Love of Arsène Lupin, was published posthumously in 2012 after being discovered by one of Leblanc ’ s descendants more than 70 years after his death .
One of the many Lupin books written by writer Maurice Leblanc
Apic/Getty Images
Lupin ’ s cultural meaning in France has been likened to that of Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes. Lupin actually debuted at the height of Holmes ’ popularity—and Leblanc evening wrote the iconic british detective into his fiction ( though Holmes ’ appoint was former changed after author Conan Doyle reportedly complained about his character being used without license ). even before the Netflix series, the books have remained influential all over the global, particularly in their home country. Thousands of copies sell every year, according to Forbes. “ Lupin is thus french that you can not grow up in France and not know who is Arsène Lupin, ” Sy told Variety. Before writing Lupin, Leblanc was a journalist with a background in poetry and law. His first base fresh, “ A Woman ” was published in 1887 to moderate success. ( It was completely unrelated to Lupin in subject. ) An obituary of the writer in the New York Times in 1941 noted that he felt he had “ no cognition ” of crime when he was asked to write a inadequate floor about it by his editor Pierre Lafitte. “ From this about accidental begin came one of the most successful careers in contemporary french letters, culminating in the ribbon of the Legion of Honor, and international fame for the impudent hero who has taken his place in public estimate with Sherlock Holmes and other universally admire heroes of fictional crime, ” the Times wrote. Sign up for More to the Story, TIME’s weekly entertainment newsletter, to get the context you need for the pop culture you love.
What to know about the Lupin adaptations
While the Netflix series has put Lupin back in the foreground in 2021, there have been numerous adaptations of Leblanc ’ randomness workplace from film to television receiver to comedian series. notably, it served as inspiration for the manga Lupin III, the japanese artist Monkey Punch ’ s popular series that followed the grandson of Lupin. The series, which began in 1967, became its own media franchise, generating anime television series, films, video games and more. Takashi Yamazaki ’ second film Lupin III: The First, the first of the Lupin III series to feature CG liveliness, was released in the U.S. late concluding year and followed Lupin ’ s grandson in the aftermath of World War II on a bay to find an crucial diary before a group of Nazis found it first .
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While Lupin III was Monkey Punch ’ s own creation—the character never appeared in Leblanc ’ s fiction—the manga artist ran into copyright problems. “ For respective years, because of copyright claims by Leblanc ’ sulfur estate, the quality was renamed Edgar, the Burglar Detective, in France, and Wolf or Rupan in Great Britain and the United States, ” the Washington Post included in an obituary for Monkey Punch in 2019 .
poster for a 1932 Lupin movie adaptation starring John and Lionel Barrymore
LMPC via Getty Images
But the adaptations date back a lot further than Lupin III : In 1930, there was an operetta performed in Paris centered on the valet thief. There have been many movies, from all around the world, from Jack Conway ’ randomness 1932 movie Arsène Lupin starring John and Lionel Barrymore to a more holocene adaptation, the 2004 French film Arsène Lupin with Romain Duris as the eponymous man of maleficence. These films are more target adaptations of Leblanc ’ second exercise, whereas the Netflix series is guided by plat points from the books ( Assane is notably not a copycat of Lupin, but is greatly influenced by him ).
What to expect from Netflix’s Lupin in the future
Part one of Lupin ended with a cliffhanger, and separate two begins in the immediate consequence. The five new episodes of the series were filmed alongside the previous five, and offer more insight into the quality of Assane and his motives. While region two digs deeper into Assane ’ south background, creator George Kay told Vanity Fair curtly after separate one ’ second premier in January that he was thinking about future episodes. “ There ’ s a lot that ’ s worked out in [ season two ], but not all the details, ” Kay said. And Sy seemed to confirm that another episode of the series was on its way after a journalist tweeted out a web site featuring Assane ’ randomness name that announced : “ Assane Is Always One Step Ahead. ”
With dozens of Leblanc ’ randomness stories at their disposal, Netflix ’ sulfur Lupin has batch of source material to work with for episodes—or seasons—to come. Write to Annabel Gutterman at annabel.gutterman @ time.com. share THIS STORY
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