After the launch ofAsterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, Guillaume Canet comes back strong. Using the term “failure” may be an overstatement, but the numbers speak for themselves and there’s no denying the 50-year-old comedian’s project didn’t have the desired effect. However, his comedy, with an XXL cast including Marion Cotillard, Gilles Lellouche and even Zlatan Ibrahimovic, got off to an excellent start during its first week of operation. Released on February 1, 2023, the Asterix of Guillaume Canet gathered 1,882,686 viewers in France, as BFMTV recalls, making it the best start for a French film in 15 years.
However, as the weeks passed, the numbers never really hit the targets. The film will have been at the top of the box office only one week before being dethroned by Philippe Lacheau and his Alibi.com 2. Indeed, between February 8 and 15, Asterixrecorded “only” 1,009,899 admissions, while its competitor gathered 1,017,788, and this trend has never reversed.
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Asterix, not one “failure” for Guillaume Canet
Furthermore, as pointed out BFM TV, the comedy of Guillaume Canetwhose budget amounts to 65 million euros, attracted “only” 4.6 million spectators in France, far from the success of Alain Chabat with Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, which had attracted 14 million fans in 2002. Despite this, the supposed ex of Marion Cotillard does not consider the film a failure. Asked by The Sunday newspaper on May 20, 2023, the actor says: “it’s absolutely not a failure”. He adds : “It has been sold all over the world and has so far reached more than 2 million admissions internationally, with successes in particular in Europe, in Poland for example”.
In addition, he denied the fact that his project had to reach 6 million admissions to be profitable. Anyway, his idea may not have had the desired effect, but he may have the opportunity to get his revenge in a few weeks, this time as an actor.
The actor selected at the Venice Film Festival
Indeed, this Tuesday, July 25, Guillaume Canet took to Instagram to announce some big news. Out of season, a film by Stéphane Brizé in which he plays the leading role, has just been selected in competition at the Venice Film Festival.
“I had dreamed of filming with Stéphane Brizé for years. Filming took place in March with the marvelous Alba Rohrwacher and a brilliant team. A sublime screenplay… Music by Vincent Delerm. And today I learned that the film has been selected in competition at the Venice Film Festival! Thank you Stéphane! Thank you Gaumont!”he announced, proud and happy to learn such news.
RF