Movies - Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom: Discover the teaser poster

By Mulder, 04 july 2022

Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is a French film directed by Guillaume Canet, scheduled for release on February 1, 2023. It is the fifth live-action film in the Asterix and Obelix series and the adaptation of the characters created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It is the first film based on an original story, as well as the first film in this series in which Obelix is not played by Gérard Depardieu. The budget of this film amounts to 65 million euros, which makes it one of the most expensive French films ever produced.

In 2016, after the mixed results critically and commercially of the two previous live-action Asterix films, Asterix at the Olympic Games and Asterix and Obelix: At the Service of His Majesty, Anne Goscinny declared that the next films required a reboot in terms of ideas and casting, the directors considered included Michel Hazanavicius and Franck Gastambide. At the end of October 2019, Guillaume Canet announced on his Instagram account his next film. In early November, the script is completed, as well as the agreement of the classical partners and the house Hachette for the adaptation. 

On November 5, the director and producer Alain Attal attends the opening of the Pompidou Center in Shanghai to meet with actors and actresses and Chinese partners. At the beginning of 2020, the Covid-19 epidemic breaks out in China, then progressively in the rest of the world without sparing France. The direct consequence for the film is a delay in production which postpones by one year the possibilities of realization of this 5th opus. Because of this delay related to the Covid-19 pandemic, Guillaume Canet is writing the script for another film, Lui, which will begin shooting in September 2020. 

At the end of October 2019, Guillaume Canet announces on his Instagram account that he will take the role of Asterix alongside Gilles Lellouche, who will take on the costume of Obelix. On April 8, 2021, a series of publications on social networks announced the full casting of the film, including that of Jérôme Commandeur and Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović on their Instagram accounts, respectively in the roles of Abraracourcix and Antivirus (in the second part of the film saga, this role was held by Jean-Paul Rouve).  In May 2020, the producers announced that the shooting was finally postponed to March 2021. The shooting is planned mainly in France, including in the studios of Bry-sur-Marne and on the former air base 217 between Brétigny-sur-Orge and Le Plessis-Pâté, for the construction of the Gallic village, but also on location for epic sequences requiring many extras.

According to the producer Alain Attal, the filming should then continue in China for many exteriors and natural settings. Finally, for health reasons23, the part of the shooting planned in China was abandoned. The beginning of the shooting is then confirmed for spring 2021. The shooting will take place mainly in France (Bry-sur-Marne and Plessis-Pâté studios confirmed) as well as a few days in the Moroccan desert. The natural settings of the Himalayas, which were supposed to be shot in China, are finally shot in Auvergne in the Massif du Sancy. The shooting officially starts on April 12, 2021. After the studios of Bry-sur-Marne, the team goes to Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, especially in the Sancy Massif. After bad weather in the region, in early May 2021, Guillaume Canet publishes on social networks a humorous video parodying the blows of blood of Jean-Pierre Mocky. The shooting ends in early August, after 17 weeks of shooting.

The music for the film will be composed by M, who has already worked on Guillaume Canet's previous film Ne le dis à personne (2006).

Synopsis:
The year is 50 BC. The Empress of China is imprisoned following a coup d'état fomented by Deng Tsin Quin, a felonious prince. With the help of Graindemais, the Phoenician merchant, and her faithful warrior Tat Han, Princess Fu-Yi, the empress's only daughter, flees to Gaul to ask for help from the two valiant warriors Asterix and Obelix, who have superhuman strength thanks to their magic potion. Our two inseparable Gauls agree to help the Princess to save her mother and free her country. And here they are, all on their way to a great adventure to China. But Caesar and his powerful army, still thirsting for conquest, have also set out for the Middle Kingdom...

Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom
Directed by Guillaume Canet
Produced by Alain Attal, Yohan Baiada
Written by Guillaume Canet, Julien Hervé, Philippe Mechelen,
Based on the characters created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
Starring Guillaume Canet, Gilles Lellouche, Vincent Cassel, Jonathan Cohen, Marion Cotillard, Pierre Richard, Ramzy Bedia, Leanna Chea, Julie Chen, Linh-Dan Pham, José Garcia, Bun Hay Mean, Manu Payet, Tran Vu Tran, Zlatan Ibrahimović Philippe Katerine, Jérôme Commandeur, Audrey Lamy, Vincent Desagnat, Franck Gastambide, Laura Felpin, Issa Doumbia, Angèle, Bigflo et Oli, Orelsan, Mcfly et Carlito, Thomas VDB, Marc Fraize, Chicandier, Tatiana Gousseff, Matthieu Chedid 
Music by Matthieu " -M- " Chedid
Cinematography : André Chemetoff
Edited by NC
Production companies : Les Éditions Albert René, Les Enfants Terribles, Pathé, Trésors Films
Distributed by Pathé (France)
Release date : February 1, 2023 (France)
Running time : NC