Netflix recently released a new French tv show, Lupin, inspired by the novels of the same name. It stars Omar Sy as a gentleman thief of the 21st century, and follows a series of heists he pulls off. The show delivers on all the pleasures of a good double-cross or two. But we’re going to look at the smart ways it works as an adaptation.
Adapting the Source Material
Arsene Lupin was introduced in 1905 in a series of French short stories. A gentleman thief, he appeared in 24 different novels and collected novellas/short stories written by Maurice Leblanc. A master of disguise, he can outwit anyone, but only uses his abilities to prey on the wicked as a sort of Robin Hood figure.
George Kay, in adapting these stories for a new TV show, went a very interesting route. Rather than just taking the books and setting them in the present day, Kay creates a new character – Assane Diop. Diop grew up reading the Lupin books, and, inspired by Lupin, decides to become a gentleman thief himself.
This choice provides Kay a ton of flexibility in constructing his series. Diop, a Senegalese immigrant who grew up in France, seeks vengeance for the wrongful conviction and suicide of his father. Building himself up from nothing, he becomes a master thief and begins to unravel the conspiracy behind his father’s undoing. Diop often takes advantage of French prejudice, blending in as service workers or prisoners, something the original Lupin certainly couldn’t do.
But at the same time, Diop’s heists riff on the techniques employed by the original Lupin. Diop loves to pay homage to his inspiration every chance he gets – also allowing the show to acknowledge its inspiration. Kay gets the best of both worlds. A main character that is totally modern while still using the source material in a loving fashion. You don’t need to know the original books in order to enjoy the show, but the die-hard fans get shown some love as well.
The Take-Away
When you’re planning on adapting something from the public domain, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Don’t limit your options to just taking the same story and putting it in a new setting. By creating new characters who are engaging with the original material in some way – whether as a fan, like Diop, or stumbling into the story like with Underwater, or some other genius method you can come up with – you’ll bring new energy and relevancy to the familiar story you’re adapting.