An old nemesis may be back to trouble gentleman thief Assane Diop in Lupin season 4, if the French series is renewed by Netflix.
Lupin recently dropped its third season, which saw Assane (Omar Sy) undertake his biggest heist yet in order to protect his ex Claire (Ludivine Sagnier) and son Raoul (Etan Simon).
As clever and capable as he is, Assane also has made some enemies along the way. And one from his past may still be pulling the strings, even from behind bars. The book is not closed on Assane's antagonistic relationship with Hubert Pellegrini (Hervé Pierre).
The show could go on, as co-creator and writer George Kay told Radio Times. "These shows are designed on purpose to run for a long time. And it's never about the stunts."
Here is everything we know so far about Lupin season 4.
Lupin season 4 release date speculation
Lupin season 4 is still up in the air, as Netflix has yet to give it the green light. The third season of the French series was released on Oct. 5, 2023, so it's unlikely the streamer will announce a renewal for at least a few more weeks.
However, Lupin season 4 is likely to happen. Not only has season 3 dominated Netflix's Top 10 global chart in its first week of release, viewers have also been catching up on seasons 1 and 2.
If/when Netflix orders Lupin season 4, when might it arrive? Almost a year and a half passed between seasons 2 and 3. The long gap can be explained in part by a delay in production when some equipment was stolen. If not for that, the window might've only been a year.
So, our best guess is that the Lupin season 4 release date could be fall 2024.
Lupin season 3 cast
The cast of Lupin season 3 is led by Omar Sy as Assane Diop, a gentleman thief who styles himself after the fictional Arsène Lupin from a series of books.
Other key members of the Lupin season 4 cast could include:
- Ludivine Sagnier as Claire, Assane's estranged wife
- Etan Simon as Raoul, Assane and Claire's teen son
- Naky Sy Savané as Mariama Diop, Assane's mother
- Antoine Gouy as Benjamin Ferel, an antiquarian and Assane's best friend
- Soufiane Guerrab as Youssef Guédira, a detective
- Shirine Boutella as Lieutenant Sofia Belkacem, a lieutenant detective
- Hervé Pierre as Hubert Pellegrini, a business tycoon currently in prison
- Clotilde Hesme as Juliette Pellegrini, Hubert's estranged daughter
Lupin season 4 plot and season 3 ending explained
First, let's go over what happened in the season 3 finale of Lupin. After setting up his childhood boxing coach (who had kidnapped Assane's mother Mariama) for stealing the precious Black Pearl, Assane turned himself in to Detective Guédira as promised. He has settled into his prison cell, stocked with his beloved Arsène Lupin novels, when he receives a note from his neighbor — Hubert Pellegrini.
As you recall, Pellegrini is Assane's reviled nemesis. He was responsible for Assane's father Babakar being falsely convicted as a thief. Assane hatched a complicated plan to get back at Pellegrini, which worked as the former tycoon was disgraced in front of his daughter Juliette and sent to prison for fraud.
Pellegrini's note only contains a photo of Assane as a teen, holding one of the Lupin books: The Cagliostro’s Revenge. Assane hurriedly opens it to read a passage: “The riddle was within you. Within the secret of your soul. In order to trap you and to build up your trust, I welcomed the love you pretended to have for me. Perhaps you believed I felt it myself, and you ended up truly loving me. And thus, you lost any clarity of mind.”
As Assane reads, the faces of several other characters flash on the screen: Hubert, Juliette, Assane's mother Mariama, and his best friend Benjamin.
The implication is that Pellegrini hasn't quietly been sitting in prison. In fact, he may have masterminded everything that happened in season 3, including Mariama's return. It's possible that Pellegrini is seeking revenge for Assane ruining his relationship with daughter Juliette by ruining Assane's relationships with his family and friends.
Lupin season 4 has plenty of stories to mine, as Kay explained to RadioTimes. "Will Assane reunite with Claire and Raul properly? Will he be able to navigate his personal life? Those relationships feel really strong, and so that can keep on going," Kay said.
He added, "The only way we know for sure is when Netflix says keep going, but all of the architecture is there for that.
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