Life imitates art?
In an ironic twist of fate, the Netflix series Lupin, which chronicles the crimes of cat burglar Assane Diop (Omar Sy), was robbed last week. According to Deadline, citing the AFP, a group of about 20 people wearing face masks stormed onto the season three set after setting off mortar fireworks in the French neighborhood of Nanterre on Friday, Feb. 25. Amid the chaos, the thieves allegedly made off with about $330,000 worth of equipment, the AFP reported.
A Netflix spokesperson confirmed the incident took place in a statement to E! News, saying, "Our cast and crew are safe and there were no injuries. We have now resumed filming."
Last month, The Crown was also robbed of about $150,000 in antique props. The show's set decorator Alison Harvey told the Antique Trades Gazette that the thieves took the props from trucks as the crew filmed at a nearby location on Feb. 16. "The items stolen are not necessarily in the best condition and therefore of limited value for resale," she told the Gazette. "However, they are valuable as pieces to the U.K. film industry."
Harvey told the Gazette that 350 items were stolen, including a replica of the 1897 Imperial Coronation coach egg by Fabergé, 12 sets of silver candelabra and seven gold candelabra, a clock face of a William IV grandfather clock, multiple Russian icons, a 10-piece silver dressing table set and St Louis gilt Crystal glassware and decanters.
A police spokesperson told E! News that investigators have exhausted all leads, but added, "If anything were to come to light such as the items appearing somewhere, then of course this investigation would be picked up again."
The streaming platform assured viewers that the robbery will not delay the forthcoming fifth season, which is slated for a fall premiere. "We can confirm the antiques have been stolen and we hope that they are found and returned safely," a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement to E! News. "Replacements will be sourced, there is no expectation that filming will be held up."
Lupin and The Crown are streaming now on Netflix.