Lupine (Netflix): creator George Kay tells us he vetoed a crazy idea that almost changed everything for the series

Launched in January 2021 on Netflix, Lupine had created an event in France, but also around the world. The series led by Omar Sy rose to first place in the top 10 in many countries and remains today one of the most popular fictions on the platform (season 1 is the third most watched non-English-speaking series of the history of Netflix, after Squid Game and season 4 of The House of Paper). Suffice to say that this part 3, which arrives more than two years after part 2, was eagerly awaited. Remember, at the end of season 2, the identity and face of Assane Diop were revealed to everyone. So he had to hide and found himself on the run. But for these seven new episodes, things change for the most gentlemanly of burglars. The creator of fiction, George Kaytells us more in an interview.

Omar Sy has “a big influence” on the history of Lupine

Télé-Loisirs: How does this season 3 of Lupine Does it stand out from the previous ones?

George Kay : The third part is a complete reversal of the first and second parts. In the premiere, Assane was a very accomplished thief, but he was unknown and the villain was Pellegrini, which was very clear to the audience. In the third part, it’s the opposite. The identity of the villain is a mystery. No one knows her, not even Assane. But the biggest problem for him is that he is no longer unknown. He is now the most famous criminal in France! So it’s the same series, but in reverse.

What do you think Omar Sy brings to this character that no other actor could give him?

He brings 100% charisma, it’s a superpower! Some people can fly, others can walk through walls. His superpower is charisma. And since he is also a producer of the series, he has a great influence on the scenarios and the story. He has ideas he wants to see in the show. That’s what this kind of series should be: a great collaboration.

Lupine almost left Paris, but the designer vetoed it!

As in previous seasons, you keep two temporalities: that of the past takes place in 1998 during the Football World Cup. Is it important for you to keep these two eras in order to learn more about Assane?

Yes, this is one of the most important things. Before wanting to tell what happened to him, I wanted to know where this guy came from. And I realized that we needed to see this 15 or 16 year old in the first and second parts, whose flashbacks took place in 1995. For part 3, we go to 1998, which is a great moment for France, of course, with the World Cup. The people who won the World Cup for France in 1998 did not represent the traditional face of France. So I have the impression that Assane Diop does not represent the traditional face of France, nor that of Lupin. It was actually really cool to be able to use that moment and explore all the positive changes, but also show how some things haven’t changed. It’s a real landmark.

Paris occupies a central place in the series. Do you think we can consider the city as a character in its own right?

When we finished the first and second parts, there were conversations like: “Wow, Lupine did really well. Should we move away from Paris? Should we go to another country? We could do an ‘Assane Diop around the world’”. I remember saying: “No, Paris is Lupin’s homeland and only a small part of the public is French. So why not be proud of Paris and, instead of going to visit other places, why not let the world come to Paris?“. The series is a bit like an advertisement for modern France, to show Omar Sy’s Paris. So we can see the old center of Paris through a very modern prism. At the same time, I have a social conscience and I want to show what there is outside of what Parisians call Paris, which is a “small town”. The metropolis of Paris, the suburbs and everything else, is immense. I feel that it is of our social responsibility to show the beautiful center of Paris, but we also have to show the suburbs and the contrast. Yes, Paris is therefore a character of Lupin. The suburbs of Paris is a character of Lupin. We must rejoice in it and mark points on a social level, but while having fun, so that the whole world continues to come to Paris, because it’s the best city in the world! It’s my favorite city.