Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom
Short description
In 50 BC, a coup led by a treacherous prince leaves the Empress of China imprisoned. Her only daughter, Princess Fu Yi, escapes to Gaul and asks the village of Asterix and Obelix for help. The two friends agree to travel east to free her mother and her country, joined by a Phoenician merchant and the princess's bodyguard. Julius Caesar, meanwhile, has his own ambitions in the region and sets out for China as well.
This fifth live-action Asterix adventure is directed by Guillaume Canet, who also plays Asterix, from a screenplay he wrote with Philippe Mechelen and Julien Hervé. Gilles Lellouche plays Obelix and Vincent Cassel appears as Caesar, with Jonathan Cohen, Julie Chen and Leanna Chea among a cast of 43. It followed Canet's Little White Lies 2 in his filmography.
Released in February 2023, the film had a budget of 72 million dollars and took about 46 million dollars worldwide, well short of its cost. It rates 5.1 out of 10 on IMDb from around 13,000 votes and 4.8 out of 10 on TMDB from roughly 1,200 votes, while a smaller group of critics gave it 5 out of 10.
What's left behind the scenes
- While preparing for filming, Guillaume Canet (director, screenwriter, and performer of the role of Asterix) lost 6 kg, while Gilles Lellouche (who played Obelix) gained 20 kg. He achieved this by lifting weights and eating four times a day.
- Official announcement of the film's production was made in November 2017, with a planned release in 2020. However, work on the project did not actually begin until October 2019, when the participation of Guillaume Canet and Gilles Lellouche was confirmed, and filming was scheduled for spring 2020. Then, the pre-production process was interrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the start of filming was postponed to March 2021. Pre-production resumed on November 9, 2020, and filming itself started on April 12, 2021. Plans to film in China were abandoned.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
