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Astérix at the Olympic Games (film)
Encyclopedia
Asterix at the Olympic Games is a French film, adapted from René Goscinny
and Albert Uderzo
's Astérix
comic series. It was filmed essentially in Spain
in the course of the year 2006. Its €78 million budget makes it one of the most expensive European movies ever. The movie has been poorly received by critics, but has done well at several European box offices topping charts in Poland
, Spain and France. In May 2008 it received the "Gérard du cinéma" (French equivalent of the Razzie Awards) for "Worst French film made in 2007."
and Obélix
have to win the Olympic Games in order to help their friend Lovesix (Stéphane Rousseau
) marry Princess Irina (portrayed by supermodel Vanessa Hessler). Brutus
(Benoît Poelvoorde
) uses every trick in the book to have his own team win the game, and get rid of his father Julius Caesar
(Alain Delon
) in the process, but fails.
The film is very loosely adapted from the original Asterix at the Olympic Games
comic book. The love story subplot between Lovesix and Irina was not featured in the original story. Brutus, portrayed here as a comical villain with no relation to his depictions in Asterix comics, is the main antagonist, although he was not even featured as a character in the original comic book.
There is a cameo of Adriana Karembeu
as Mrs Geriatrix (replacing Arielle Dombasle
in the first movie), and Jamel Debbouze
reprises his role as Numerobis. German comedy star and director Michael Bully Herbig has a bit-part as a mute Roman soldier.
The film featured several cameos by real-life sport stars, such as Michael Schumacher
, Jean Todt
, Zinedine Zidane
, Tony Parker
, and Amélie Mauresmo
. The part of Roman athlete Claudius Cornedurus (Gluteus Maximus), played by Jérôme Le Banner
, was originally to be played by Jean-Claude Van Damme
.
estimated $38.7 million in revenue within a week after the film was released.
René Goscinny
René Goscinny was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.-Early life:Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family...
and Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
's Astérix
Asterix
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
comic series. It was filmed essentially in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in the course of the year 2006. Its €78 million budget makes it one of the most expensive European movies ever. The movie has been poorly received by critics, but has done well at several European box offices topping charts in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Spain and France. In May 2008 it received the "Gérard du cinéma" (French equivalent of the Razzie Awards) for "Worst French film made in 2007."
Plot
AstérixAsterix (character)
Asterix is a fictional character, the titular hero of the French comic book series The Adventures of Asterix.The series portrays him as a diminutive but fearless Gaulish warrior living in the time of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. Asterix was created in 1959 by writer René Goscinny and illustrator...
and Obélix
Obelix
Obelix is a fictional character from the French comic book series Asterix. He works as a menhir sculptor and deliveryman, and is Asterix's best friend. Obelix is noted for his fatness, the menhirs he carries around on his back and his superhuman strength...
have to win the Olympic Games in order to help their friend Lovesix (Stéphane Rousseau
Stéphane Rousseau
Stéphane Rousseau is a Québécois actor and comedian. He starred in the Academy Award winning film The Barbarian Invasions . He has also been in Asterix at the Olympic Games...
) marry Princess Irina (portrayed by supermodel Vanessa Hessler). Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus , often referred to as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic. After being adopted by his uncle he used the name Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, but eventually returned to using his original name...
(Benoît Poelvoorde
Benoît Poelvoorde
Benoît Poelvoorde is a Belgian actor and comedian who often associates cynicism, humour and drama in his movies.His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still young...
) uses every trick in the book to have his own team win the game, and get rid of his father Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
(Alain Delon
Alain Delon
Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared to French actors such as Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American actor James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot...
) in the process, but fails.
The film is very loosely adapted from the original Asterix at the Olympic Games
Asterix at the Olympic Games
Asterix at the Olympic Games is the 12th comic book album in the Asterix series. Serialized in Pilote issues 434-455 in 1968 , it was translated into English in 1972...
comic book. The love story subplot between Lovesix and Irina was not featured in the original story. Brutus, portrayed here as a comical villain with no relation to his depictions in Asterix comics, is the main antagonist, although he was not even featured as a character in the original comic book.
Cast
- Clovis CornillacClovis CornillacClovis Cornillac is a French theater, television and cinema actor.- Biography :Clovis Cornillac was born to actors Myriam Boyer and Roger Cornillac. He started studying theatre at the age of 14....
replaced Christian ClavierChristian ClavierChristian Clavier is a French actor. He is the brother of French film director Stéphane Clavier.-Biography:After his high class studies at the Neuilly Lycée Pasteur—though asserted here and there, he never studied at Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris —he started his acting career with the...
as Astérix. - Jean-Pierre CasselJean-Pierre CasselJean-Pierre Cassel was a French actor.-Life and career:Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in Paris, the son of Louise-Marguerite , an opera singer, and Georges Crochon, a doctor. Cassel was discovered by Gene Kelly as he tap danced on stage, and later cast in the 1957 film The Happy Road...
was the third actor to portray Druid Panoramix (Getafix), after Claude PiépluClaude PiépluClaude Léon Auguste Piéplu was a French film and television actor.-Filmography:*Shadoks et le Big Blank, Les *Astérix et Obélix contre César *Chapeau bas...
and Claude RichClaude RichClaude Rich is a French actor. He began his career as a theater actor, before his film debut in 1955 with René Clair, Les Grandes Manoeuvres.He married the actress Catherine Renaudin on 26 June 1959... - Alain DelonAlain DelonAlain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon is a French actor. He rose quickly to stardom, and by the age of 23 was already being compared to French actors such as Gérard Philipe and Jean Marais, as well as American actor James Dean. He was even called the male Brigitte Bardot...
was the third actor to portray Julius Caesar in a live action Asterix film, after Gottfried JohnGottfried John-Life and work:During the 1970s and early 1980s, Gottfried John played various roles in films by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, notably that of Reinhold in the epic Berlin Alexanderplatz . He is internationally known for his portrayals of General Ourumov in the James Bond film GoldenEye and Julius...
and Alain ChabatAlain ChabatAlain Chabat is a French actor and director who appeared in La Cité de la peur, French Twist, The Taste of Others and The Science of Sleep.- Life and career :Chabat was born in Oran, French Algeria. He is Jewish.... - Benoît PoelvoordeBenoît PoelvoordeBenoît Poelvoorde is a Belgian actor and comedian who often associates cynicism, humour and drama in his movies.His mother was a grocer and his father a driver, who died when Poelvoorde was still young...
replaces Victor Loukianenko (from Asterix & Obelix: Mission CleopatraAsterix & Obelix: Mission CleopatraAsterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, originally titled Astérix & Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre, is a 2002 French-German film based on the comic book Astérix et Cléopatre by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo and a sequel for the 1999 movie Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar. It was the most expensive French...
) as Brutus - Gérard DepardieuGérard DepardieuGérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor...
(as Obélix) is the only actor to reprise his part in all three films
There is a cameo of Adriana Karembeu
Adriana Sklenaríková
Adriana Sklenaříková Karembeu is a Slovak fashion model and actress. Also she is a former Guinness record holder for the longest legs among female models...
as Mrs Geriatrix (replacing Arielle Dombasle
Arielle Dombasle
Arielle Dombasle is a French-American singer, actress, director and model. Her breakthrough roles were in Éric Rohmer's Pauline at the Beach and Alain Robbe-Grillet's The Blue Villa...
in the first movie), and Jamel Debbouze
Jamel Debbouze
Jamel Debbouze is an actor, comedian and producer of Moroccan descent.-Biography:Debbouze is the oldest of five brothers. He was born in Paris, France, but his family moved to Morocco the following year...
reprises his role as Numerobis. German comedy star and director Michael Bully Herbig has a bit-part as a mute Roman soldier.
The film featured several cameos by real-life sport stars, such as Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
, Jean Todt
Jean Todt
Jean Todt was born on February 25, 1946, in Pierrefort, Cantal, France. After a successful career as a rally co-driver he made his reputation in motor sport management, first with Peugeot Talbot Sport, then with Scuderia Ferrari, before being appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ferrari from 2004...
, Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
, Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
, and Amélie Mauresmo
Amélie Mauresmo
Amélie Simone Mauresmo ; is a French former professional tennis player, and a former World No. 1. Mauresmo won two Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon....
. The part of Roman athlete Claudius Cornedurus (Gluteus Maximus), played by Jérôme Le Banner
Jérôme Le Banner
Jérôme "Geronimo" Le Banner , is a French kickboxer and K-1 superstar, famous for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power....
, was originally to be played by Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
.
Box office
The film grossed $23.4 million in France in its opening weekend, which was more than 60% of its gross in 19 territories in which the film was released. Box Office MojoBox Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
estimated $38.7 million in revenue within a week after the film was released.