Asterix films (live action)

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Asterix and Obelix is a French live-action film franchise, based on the comic book series of the same name by French comic book artists Albert Uderzo and Rene Goscinny. The series includes five theatrically released films. Just like the comic books, the films focus on the adventures of Asterix and Obelix, two Gauls in Roman-occupied Europe. With the help of a magic potion which causes superhuman strength, the Gaul's tiny village manages to resist Rome.

Contents

In the first two installments in the franchise, protagonists Asterix and Obelix are played by actors Christian Clavier and Gérard Depardieu. Depardieu is the only actor to appear in four of the films, being replaced by Gilles Lellouche for the fifth film. Except for the first two films the character of Asterix has been portrayed by a different actor each time: Clovis Cornillac for the third film, Edouard Baer for the fourth, and Guillaume Canet for the fifth. Apart from Depardieu and Clavier, the only other actors to appear in more than one film are Sim, who plays the village's oldest resident, Geriatrix, in the first and third film, and Jamel Debbouze, who plays Egyptian architect Edifis in the second and third films. All other roles who reappear during the series are played by a different actor in each film.

The fourth film, Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia , was released in 2012. A fifth film, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom , was released in 2023.

Films

Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999)

Asterix and Obelix vs Caesar is the first live action Asterix film and it describes the adventure of the Gauls against the Roman Empire. The plot is a combination based on several of the Asterix albums by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo (see the above article about the film). The cast includes several famous actors and many well known French ones. The main stars are Christian Clavier, Gérard Depardieu, Roberto Benigni, Michel Galabru, Claude Piéplu. The film was directed by Claude Zidi, and it was very successful in France and other European countries.

Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002)

In Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, Asterix and Obelix travel to Egypt to help architect Edifis to build a palace for queen Cleopatra in 90 days because of a bet she made with Julius Caesar.

For this film the plot is based primarily on the sixth Asterix comic book, Asterix and Cleopatra written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. The same comic book was the basis of a 1968 animated film. In this version there are many references to other popular movies like The Matrix, and contemporary jokes which give a different perspective from the previous stories. Clavier and Depardieu reprised their roles as Asterix and Obelix but there were various other changes in the cast and crew of this film, such as Claude Piéplu and Gottfried John who played Getafix and Caesar in the first film being replaced by Claude Rich and Alain Chabat. The film was again a huge success but it was considered to be one of the most expensive films in the history of Europe (more than 50 million dollars). It was directed by Alain Chabat.

This movie is the only Asterix live action movie in which the plot closely follows the plot of the original comic book, Asterix and Cleopatra , without incorporating elements from other stories.

Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008)

Astérix at the Olympic Games is the third live action Asterix film, released in 2008, and based on the comic book of the same name. Clovis Cornillac replaced Christian Clavier in the role of Asterix. Aside from Gérard Depardieu as Obelix and brief cameos by Sim as Geriatrix and Jamel Debbouze as Edifis none of the cast members from the previous two films returned. The film does have several celebrity cameo appearances by people such as Tony Parker, Zinedine Zidane and Michael Schumacher.

Filming began in June 2006 and the movie was planned to be released close to the date of the Beijing Olympic Games. The budget of the film was estimated to be even higher than the previous Asterix film (possibly almost twice as expensive). It was directed by Frédéric Forestier and Thomas Langmann.

Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia (2012)

Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia is the fourth live action Asterix film, and was released in October 2012. It is based on the comic book Asterix in Britain . Edouard Baer replaced Clovis Cornillac (who had replaced Christian Clavier) in the role of Asterix.

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (2023)

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is the fifth live action Asterix film, and was released in February 2023. Production was originally planned to take place partly in China in 2020, but was postponed to 2021 and relocated to France and Morocco. [1] The film is directed by Guillaume Canet, who also stars as Asterix, while Gilles Lellouche plays Obelix. [2]

Cast and characters

Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra Asterix at the Olympic Games Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom
Gauls
Asterix Christian Clavier Clovis Cornillac Édouard Baer Guillaume Canet
Obelix Gérard Depardieu Gilles Lellouche
Getafix Claude Piéplu Claude Rich Jean-Pierre Cassel László Baranyi Pierre Richard
Vitalstatistix Michel Galabru Does not appear Éric Thomas  [ fr ] Michel Duchaussoy Jérôme Commandeur
Impedimenta Marianne Sägebrecht Does not appear Dorothée Jemma Gaëlle Jeantet Audrey Lamy
Cacofonix Pierre Palmade Does not appear Franck Dubosc Does not appear Philippe Katerine
Geriatrix Sim Does not appear Sim Does not appearPhilippe Canet
Mrs. Geriatrix Arielle Dombasle Does not appear Adriana Karembeu Does not appear
Unhygienix Jean-Jacques Devaux  [ fr ]Does not appear Chicandier  [ fr ]
Fulliautomatix Jean-Roger Milo Does not appearAndré Kalmes
Panacea Laetitia Casta Does not appear Angèle
Romans
Julius Caesar Gottfried John Alain Chabat Alain Delon Fabrice Luchini Vincent Cassel
BrutusDidier CauchyVictor Loukianenko Benoît Poelvoorde Does not appear
Lucius Detritus Roberto Benigni Does not appear
CouverdepusDoes not appear José Garcia Does not appear
Gluteus MaximusDoes not appear Jérôme Le Banner Does not appear
Caius AntivirusDoes not appear Jean-Paul Rouve Does not appear Zlatan Ibrahimović
Egyptians
CleopatraDoes not appear Monica Bellucci Does not appear Marion Cotillard
EdifisDoes not appear Jamel Debbouze Does not appear
CriminalisDoes not appear Gérard Darmon Does not appear
OtisDoes not appear Édouard Baer Does not appear
Bretons
Queen CordeliaDoes not appear Catherine Deneuve Does not appear
Miss MacintoshDoes not appear Valérie Lemercier Does not appear
AnticlimaxDoes not appear Guillaume Gallienne Does not appear
Others
RedbeardDoes not appear Bernard Farcy Does not appear Gérard Jugnot Franck Gastambide

Related Research Articles

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<i>Asterix the Gladiator</i>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Clavier</span> French actor and screenwriter (born 1952)

Christian Jean-Marie Clavier is a French actor, screenwriter, film producer and director. A founder of Le Splendid in the 1970s, a Parisian café-théâtre company which soon garnered success, he became widely popular after starring in two hit comedy series: Patrice Leconte's Les Bronzés and Jean-Marie Poiré's Les Visiteurs.

<i>Asterix and Cleopatra</i> Sixth book in the Asterix comic book series

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<i>The Twelve Tasks of Asterix</i> 1976 English/French animated feature film based on the Asterix comic books

The Twelve Tasks of Asterix is a 1976 English/French animated feature film based on the Asterix comic book series, and the third in the animated franchise. René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, the creators of the series, wrote the story and directed the film themselves; with co-direction by Pierre Watrin and the screenplay co-written by Pierre Tchernia, a friend of Goscinny and Uderzo. The film was directed, produced and animated at Goscinny and Uderzo's own animation studio, Studios Idéfix, and is the only Asterix animated film that used the xerography process. At the time of its release, the film received mixed reviews since its tone is more cartoony and frequently breaks the fourth wall. Nowadays its reception is more favorable, with it often being cited as one of the best Astérix films, even reaching the status of a cult classic.

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<i>Asterix and Caesars Gift</i>

Asterix and Caesar's Gift is the twenty-first volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was the first Asterix adventure that was not published in serial form in Pilote magazine prior to its publication as a book.

<i>Asterix and the Soothsayer</i>

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<i>Asterix and Obelix All at Sea</i>

Asterix and Obelix All at Sea is the thirtieth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by Albert Uderzo. The album was dedicated to Uderzo's grandchild, as well as to the American actor Kirk Douglas.

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<i>Asterix and Cleopatra</i> (film) 1968 French film

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<i>Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra</i> 2002 French film

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asterix (character)</span> Fictional character and the titular hero of the French comic book series Asterix

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<i>Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar</i> 1999 film

Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar is a 1999 French-Italian-German comedy fantasy adventure film directed by Claude Zidi, the first installment in the Asterix film series based on Goscinny and Uderzo's Astérix comics. The film combines plots of several Astérix stories, mostly Asterix the Gaul, Asterix and the Soothsayer, Asterix and the Goths, Asterix the Legionary and Asterix the Gladiator but jokes and references from many other albums abound, including a humorous exchange between Caesar and Brutus taken from Asterix and Cleopatra, and the villain Lucius Detritus is based on Tullius Detritus, the main antagonist of Asterix and the Roman Agent.

<i>Asterix at the Olympic Games</i> (film) 2008 French fantasy comedy film

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<i>Asterix and Obelixs Birthday</i> 2009 French comic book

Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book is the thirty-fourth album of the Asterix comic book series, designed and written by Albert Uderzo. The book also includes Asterix stories which were created jointly with René Goscinny. The album, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the creation of the series, was released on 22 October 2009.

<i>Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion</i> 2018 French film

Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion is a 2018 French animated adventure family comedy film co-directed by Alexandre Astier and Louis Clichy. A sequel to 2014's Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods, the screenplay by Astier is based on the Asterix comic book characters created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. This is the first Asterix production not to feature Roger Carel as the voice of Asterix, due to his retirement and later death. Asterix is instead voiced by Christian Clavier, who previously played the character in Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar and Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.

<i>Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom</i> 2023 film

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is a 2023 French live-action adventure comedy film directed by Guillaume Canet, who also stars as Asterix. It is the fifth installment in the Asterix live-action film series.

References

  1. Keslassy, Elsa (8 April 2021). "Pathe Relocates 'Asterix & Obelix' Movie From China to France". Variety. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  2. Keslassy, Elsa (28 October 2019). "Guillaume Canet to Direct, Star in Next 'Asterix & Obelix' Installment for Pathé". Variety. Retrieved 7 January 2020.

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