The “Lupin” co-creator returned to the series’ origins and said he was “shocked” to learn of the criticism in France of the casting of Omar Sy in the lead role.
A look back at the cast of Lupine
When Omar Sy was announced in 2018 for the lead role in an ambitious Netflix series called Lupine, inspired by the literary creation of Maurice Leblanc, it was not overlooked: the casting choice offended those who think that Arsène Lupine cannot be played any other way than by a white actor. A very widespread discourse on social networks, which we have also heard about the live-action adaptations of “The Little Mermaid” and “Snow White”, to name just a few. There are many dissatisfied people in the comments on Netflix’s Instagram post from March 9, 2020.
Su Three years later, Lupine established himself as a big success for a French Netflix series, and this is thanks in large part to its actor Omar Sy, who is very successful in his role of burglar Assane Diop.
“It has become a weapon”
George Kay, co-creator of the series with François Uzan, and Damien Couvreur, creative director of the Netflix original series, answered various questions from Variety. The co-creator responded to this racist criticism of Omar Sy.
I was shocked because we don’t really know that in England. But I was also excited because I could write about that and prejudice and incorporate that kind of attitude into a show that’s still focused on entertainment. There are these prejudices, and they have become a weapon for us and for Assane Diop as a character in all these stories, and they make us want to do more. And in this way we can hope to change some people’s minds.
To find out if Lupine, a part of contemporary French society that evokes racism in its themes, is a series with a political discourse, Damien Couvreur explained: “I think the underlying idea is to show that there are social and “There are racial tensions.” Our culture and incorporating it into history so that it resonates with many people, not only in France but around the world.”