Netflix series returns with new season
More than a century after his creation, Arsène Lupin, the gentleman-thief imagined by Maurice Leblanc, is returning on Netflix on October 23, portrayed by Omar Sy, as part of the fourth season of Lupin. Launched in 2021, this free adaptation has contributed to bringing the character back into the spotlight and sparking renewed interest in his work.Publishers capitalize on renewed interest
Publishers have capitalized on this dynamic, offering renewed editions of his adventures. The publishing industry benefits from the Archipoche phenomenon, which relaunched Lupin's adventures in a collection with modernized covers on the occasion of the first season of the series, claiming nearly 500,000 copies sold across all its editions dedicated to the character and 35% of the pocket book market.Publisher strategy highlights timing
According to Marguerite Mignon-Quibel, director of editions at L'Archipel and Archipoche, this success is largely due to the launch schedule: "What enabled this, is surely that we were the first with this new collection at the time of season 1." The editor also highlights the role of library recommendations and mediation, as well as the preface signed by Michel Bussi, himself a great admirer of the gentleman-thief.Modernizing classics for new audiences
"The idea of Archipoche was to bring back these great classics by offering objects and covers more in line with current tastes to promote intergenerational transmission," she explains. This strategy is in line with the editorial policy of the publisher, which focuses on the reissue of patrimonial texts, especially when cultural news allows them to be highlighted again.Audiovisual adaptations boost sales
At Omnibus, audiovisual adaptations regularly provide an opportunity to highlight already published works. The publisher plans, for the end of the year, a new edition of the works of Gaston Leroux on the occasion of the release of the cinematic adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera.Lupin's sales surge after series launch
The first editions of the complete Arsène Lupin collection at Omnibus date back to the mid-2000s. In 2021, the year of the launch of the Netflix series, sales were multiplied by six compared to previous years, according to the publisher. The first volume then sold nearly 4,000 copies for the year.New editions aim for broader reach
The first print run of the new complete edition, divided into three volumes, published on October 15, was set at 3,000 copies per volume. "Every adaptation of a literary work is an opportunity to reach a public that would not have spontaneously been inclined to dive into it," says Maxime Guillon, commercial manager at Récamier / Presses de la Cité.Comic books embrace the character
This dynamic is not limited to pocket editions or literary collections. The comic book industry has also embraced the character, notably putting him in confrontation with another mythical figure of detective literature: Sherlock Holmes. At Lombard, the first volume of Sherlock Holmes versus Arsène Lupin, published in June 2025, has sold 17,000 copies since its publication.Comic series achieves strong launch
According to Manuel Soufflard, marketing director, this result made it the tenth best launch of a new adult comic series in Franco-Belgian comics this year. This performance testifies, according to the publisher, to the ability of these patrimonial characters to continue to attract readers. The second volume will be published on November 6 and the house states that it has "legitimately high ambitions."Manga also sees Lupin's resurgence
At Bamboo, Arsène Lupin also reaches a significant audience. Nazir Menaa, press relations officer at the house, indicates that the sales of the series have reached 200,000 copies in total, counting all six volumes, including Le Bouchon de cristal, which was reissued on October 7.Manga adapts the character's legacy
The manga also embraces the phenomenon. Created by mangaka Monkey Punch, Lupin the Third, published by Kana, offers a reinterpretation of the famous gentleman-thief. The work was published on September 25 with an initial print run of 35,000 copies, according to Christel Hoolans, general director of Kana and Le Lombard editions.Diverse audiences for the character
"Even though Lupin the Third and the Netflix series Lupin are two very different works, they share a common lineage around the character created by Maurice Leblanc," she explains. The publisher had already published Lupin the Third: Anthology in 2021, the year of the launch of the French series.Netflix drives book sales
Audiovisual adaptations constitute a powerful lever for book sales. According to a study conducted by Netflix and NielsenIQ BookData over the period 2017-2026, 84.2% of the studied programs are associated with a peak in sales of the works they are based on. Arsène Lupin is an illustration of this: in 2021, the release of the first season represented 21% of the total sales of books dedicated to the character, with up to 20,000 copies sold in some weeks following its broadcast.
