Lupin Is Another Smash for Netflix

French crime caper Lupin is Netflx’s latest surprise hit

What are the odds that a French series based on a fictional “gentleman burglar” first introduced in 1907 would somehow become one of the streamer’s most-watched shows?

Yet that’s precisely what happened with Lupin, a new Paris-set series starring Omar Sy as Assane Diop, who’s modelled himself after Arsène Lupin, the protagonist of a series of popular novels dating back to the early 1900s. Cut from the same outlaw cloth as Robin Hood, Lupin is a master thief who uses his unique skill set to right wrongs and punish the guilty.

The elaborate heists that Assane pulls off are hardly random. He’s out to avenge his father, a Senegalese immigrant who hung himself in his jail cell after being wrongfully accused of theft by his wealthy employer, Hubert Pellegrini (Herve Pierre).

Left orphaned, Assane is now committed to utilizing the thievery skills he’s spent 25 years mastering to exact revenge on the Pellegrini family by re-enacting some of the heists that Lupin executed in the novels, resulting in a slick, cinematic and action-packed series that also exudes sly humour.

If there was any concern that viewers wouldn’t be interested in a foreign-language series, they’ve been quickly dispelled by the incredible viewership numbers.

According to data released by Netflix, Lupin—which debuted in early January—was watched by 70 million households within the first 28 days of release. For comparison’s sake, Bridgerton was viewed by 63 million househods, while The Queen’s Gambit raked in 62 million during the same 28-day window.

And it’s not just North American viewers who are watching; Lupin handily claimed the No. 1 spot in Netflix’s top 10 rankings in countries including Brazil, Vietnam, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and more.

So far, only five episodes are available, comprising the first half of season one. The good news is that the remaining five episodes are coming; an onscreen message at the end of the fifth episode reads, “It’s official: Part 2 is coming soon.”

The bad news, however, is that those episodes won’t be streaming until sometime this summer, but it’s a pretty safe bet that when they do arrive, they’ll be worth the wait.

Beyond that, Netflix hasn’t made an official announcement—yet—of a second season. However, in an interview with Variety, Lupin showrunner George Kay teased much more to come, describing the first season as “the origin of how Assane came to be here, so it’s the first chapter of a bigger show.”