Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom | Guillaume Canet: the weight of a mission

(Paris) At the helm of one of the most important productions of French cinema this year, Guillaume Canet knows that he has no room for error, especially since he himself embodies the most famous Gallic warrior. On the eve of the release from Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, the filmmaker is rather confident. Encounter.

Unlike the four other live-action feature films featuring the famous characters imagined by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo, adapted from existing albums, Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is the result of an original story. The rights holders have indeed launched a competition in which screenwriters have participated by proposing a first treatment of around twenty pages. On the basis of this draft written by Julien Hervé and Philippe Mechelen, tandem behind the series of successful comedies The TuchesGuillaume Canet agreed to take up the challenge – very puzzling – offered to him by producer Alain Attal.

“I immediately saw that there was material there to do something different from previous films, explained Guillaume Canet during a press meeting held recently in Paris. The plot this time took place in China – at the time the title was The Silk Road –, and I saw the potential to make it not only a comedy, but also a great adventure film, with battles, journeys, expeditions. I also wanted to put the two characters, Asterix and Obelix, back at the center of the story, which wasn’t necessarily the case in the last films. »

Performance obligation

At the head of a production with a budget of approximately 65 million euros (more than 90 million Canadian dollars), Guillaume Canet is perfectly aware of the responsibility incumbent upon him. While, three years after the start of the pandemic, spectators are quietly returning to cinemas, the filmmaker, who signs here his 8^e feature film, feels all the eyes of French film professionals are on him.

“Because of its budget, this film has to work! he argues. Even if the cinema is starting to pick up a little bit, all of this remains very fragile for French cinema today. The community hopes a lot from this big film so that other ambitious productions can then be made. For now, the feedback we’ve had is very encouraging, but if people don’t show up, it will indicate that they no longer want to go to theaters to see French films. No one will want to risk it anymore. »

In addition to leading an impressive cast, including Vincent Cassel, Jonathan Cohen, Marion Cotillard, Julie Chen, Ramzy Bedia, Philippe Katerine and Pierre Richard (not forgetting Gilles Lellouche in the role of Obélix), Guillaume Canet is given the role of Asterix, which was not at all planned at the start. In fact, the actor would have liked to play Julius Caesar, a role less present on the screen (finally camped – brilliantly – by Vincent Cassel), but the circumstances made it so that it was otherwise.

“It would have amused me to play this relationship with Cleopatra, played by Marion [Cotillard, sa conjointe]assures the one who, in 2007, won the César for best achievement thanks to Do not tell anyone. Gold, Gilles [Lellouche] pointed out to me that it would look a little too much like rock and roll, in which, with Marion, we also played on this discrepancy. I never thought of playing Asterix myself, but during a meeting at Pathé with Jérôme Seydoux, the big boss, and about twenty people, we were looking for a bankable actor. Suddenly, Jérôme Seydoux turned to me and asked me: why wouldn’t it be you? I told him that it was impossible to act and direct at the same time, but he was so convinced that he got up and made it a done deal when he walked out of the room. I looked at everyone, incredulous, but they all said to me: Well, you’re playing Asterix! »

A new Obelix

The fact that the role of Obélix was assigned to Gilles Lellouche, his great friend in life, made things a little easier in this regard, the complicity between the two actors having already been established. Guillaume Canet also salutes the courage of his sidekick, who takes on a role marked by the strong presence of Gérard Depardieu in previous feature films.

“It was not possible to take back Gérard, supports the director. First, he didn’t want to play Obelix again. There was also a desire on our part to refresh the franchise a bit. But Gérard being perfect in Obélix, who can we find next? We needed an actor who could appropriate the character. I know Gilles well and I know that he has the required part of childhood in him, that he can play that. It also needed an actor who agreed to play the role and had the courage to go for it. Gilles even gained 20 kilos. I will also add that he has a big pair of testicles, severely burned! »

Happy with his film

Working under the close supervision of the heirs of Goscinny and Uderzo, who made a point of rereading each scene and each line so that the spirit of the creators was in no way betrayed, Guillaume Canet is happy with his film today.

“This monitoring could sometimes be boring, but in the end it turned out to be very valuable, recognizes the filmmaker. It saved me from going off the road and kept me from going for a humor that could have been too offbeat. Their vigilance was really useful because it allowed me to stick to the DNA of the comic strip. I know I gave it my all, I never gave up. I can also say that the film resembles what I imagined at the start. Truly. Afterwards, it’s not up to me to say what is successful and what is less so, but I know that I went after what I wanted to do. »

Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom will be released on 1^er february.

Travel expenses were paid by Unifrance.