Netflix has another huge foreign hit on its hands with the new series Lupin.
CNET reports that Lupin has surpassed every series it has released over the last year in terms of viewers, making it the most-watched series on the streaming service since The Witcher came out over a year ago.
Netflix’s Lupin most-watched series over last year
According to Netflix, more than 70 million accounts watched Lupin over its first four weeks of its release.
It reached No. 2 on the Netflix popularity charts in the United States and was No. 1 in the following countries — Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Bridgerton was No. 1 at the time.
This makes it comparable to Money Heist, easily the most popular foreign language series before this, and it actually topped the numbers for that series.
The third season of Money Heist had 65 million viewers in its first four weeks. The Witcher, which hit in December 2019, had 76 million accounts viewing the series in the same length of time.
It was also close to the release of original movies on Netflix during that time. The Midnight Sky reached 72 million viewers. Bridgerton reached 63 million accounts. Even the Shark Boy and Lava Girl sequel, We Can Be Heroes will hit 53 million in four weeks.
What is Lupin on Netflix?
So, what is Lupin on Netflix and why is it so popular?
A french series, Lupin is based on the beloved French character Arsène Lupin, created by writer Maurice Leblanc in 1905.
French actor Omar Sy stars as Assane Diop, a con man with a heart of gold able to turn his outsized presence into an uncatchable master of deception. He is a huge fan of Arsène Lupi
There are only five episodes at 43 minutes each.
Assane starts off trying to steal Marie Antoinette’s necklace, lost for 25 years, from the Louvre. The reason given is based on his past.
Just 25 years earlier, his father Babakar (Fargass Assandé), an immigrant from Senegal hired as a chauffeur for a wealthy white Parisian family, was framed for stealing the necklace.
Assane’s dad died by suicide while in prison, leaving an orphaned Assane with a copy of the classic Lupin stories and a desire for vengeance.
Netflix automatically plays the English dubbed version, which helped it crossover to viewers who refuse to read subtitles.
Check out the trailer for Lupin below:
Lupin is currently streaming on Netflix.