Lupin is now released on Netflix and this comedy crime drama blends the past with the present to great effect

A five-part French comedy drama, Lupin is a modern story where the main character is influenced by a classic collection of stories from 1907 — Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar by Maurice Leblanc — to great effect. Part 1 is released today, consisting of five episodes.

As a teenager, Assane Diop’s (Omar Sy – Jurassic World) life was turned upside down when his father died after being accused of a crime he didn’t commit. 25 years later, Assane will uses the stories as his inspiration to avenge his father. The series also stars Ludivine Sagnier, Clotilde Hesme and Nicole Garcia. It’s important to understand this is not a modern retelling of the original Leblanc stories, but a contemporary tale of a character inspired by them.

The novels were hugely successful from the start of the 1900s, and have been turned in to various plays, films and television series from the very beginning. Although established as a crime drama, there have been elements of fantasy involved, including a radioactive stone god and even the Fountain of Youth. There’s more information on the original character of Lupin on the Cool French Comics site. The series was created by George Kay (Killing Eve) in collaboration with François Uzan (Family Business).

You can catch the trailer for Lupin here, and Lupin is now released on Netflix.