Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods
| Company type | Animated film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Animated family adventure comedy film |
Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods, also referred to as Asterix and Obelix: Mansion of the Gods, is a 2014 animated family adventure comedy directed by Louis Clichy, with story development and co-direction by Alexandre Astier. The voice cast includes Roger Carel, , , , and Florence Foresti. This film marks Carel's final performance prior to his retirement and subsequent passing. Importantly, it is the inaugural Asterix movie created using 3D animation technology.
The film debuted in French cinemas on 26 November 2014, distributed by SND Films and screened in 696 venues nationwide. It grossed over $51 million, surpassing its €31 million production budget. Critical reception was predominantly positive, earning a nomination from the IFMCA for Best Original Score in an Animated Feature Film category. Later, it became available on DVD, VOD, and Blu-ray through M6 Vidéo on 9 June 2015.
Plot
Irritated by the persistent defiance of the Gauls, Julius Caesar devises a plan to subdue them by erecting upscale residential complexes known as “The Mansions Of The Gods” adjacent to the Gauls' village. His goal is to integrate them into Roman culture.
While engaged in a boar hunt, Asterix and Obelix stumble upon the construction site of these Mansions. The project is overseen by architect Squaronthehypotenus and guarded by a Roman legion garrison commanded by Centurion Somniferus, who instruct slaves to clear the land. Utilizing magic acorns provided by Getafix, Asterix and Obelix rapidly regrow trees, counteracting the deforestation efforts.
When Squaronthehypotenus threatens excessive labor demands on the slaves, Asterix and Obelix intervene by liberating them and supplying magic potion. Unexpectedly, the freed workers employ the potion to accelerate building progress and subsequently demand fair wages, freedom, and their own apartments. Similarly, legionaries initiate a strike over comparable grievances.
The Gauls intend to demolish the Mansions but discover Roman civilians have already settled there. Unable to attack non-combatants, they retreat to formulate new plans. Meanwhile, Roman residents Anonymus, Dulcia, and Mischiefus are denied their lottery-assigned apartments due to missing paperwork. After forming friendships with Obelix and Dogmatix, they are temporarily accommodated in the Gaulish village.
Asterix, Obelix, and Getafix attempt multiple strategies—such as rain inducement, loud noises, and foul odors—to expel the Romans; however, these measures fail as the newcomers adapt and even begin purchasing goods within the village. This sparks competition over fish prices and weapon sales. Disturbed by these changes, Asterix leads a faction to inhabit the Mansions themselves. Though Squaronthehypotenus hesitates at this development, Senator Prospectus endorses it as part of Caesar’s scheme.
To encourage Romans’ departure, Caesar offers free housing to Gauls. Utilizing Cacofonix’s notoriously loud singing as noise pollution near the Mansions nearly succeeds until other Gauls arrive and occupy the residences themselves.
With the village deserted, Caesar commands its destruction. The legion refuses to cooperate while Getafix and Obelix remain free. However, Getafix, Mischiefus, and Dogmatix are captured; Obelix falls unconscious from hunger and is imprisoned underground.
Upon awakening, Asterix finds their village under siege; Gauls observe its demolition while feigning possession of magic potion. With assistance from Anonymus and Dulcia, Asterix rescues Getafix and others; inside the Mansions they brew more potion. The Gauls pursue Roman forces but are captured once their deception is uncovered. Asterix suffers weakness due to an incomplete potion dose.
As Caesar proclaims triumph, Obelix revives underground after consuming discarded banquet leftovers. Reinvigorated with potion strength restored, the Gauls defeat the Romans decisively and compel Caesar to evacuate civilians from the Mansions, resulting in its demolition. The Gauls celebrate atop its ruins. Back in Rome, Anonymus and Mischiefus embarrass Caesar by tossing a magic acorn onto his podium at the Colosseum, leaving him dangling from a tree branch.
Cast
| Character | Original Version | Canadian Edition (2015) |
British Edition (2016) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original Version | Canadian Edition (2015) |
British Edition (2016) | |||
| Astérix | Asterix | Roger Carel | Ken Kramer | Jack Whitehall | |
| Idéfix | Dogmatix | Uncredited | |||
| Obélix | Obelix | Guillaume Briat | C. Ernst Harth | Nick Frost | |
| Centurion Oursenplus | Centurion Somniferus | Alexandre Astier | Jason Simpson | Greg Davies | |
| Abraracourcix | Vitalstatistix | Serge Papagalli | Don Brown | Matt Berry | |
| Dulcia | Géraldine Nakache | Tabitha St. Germain | Catherine Tate | ||
| Petiminus | Anonymus | Artus de Penguern | Alan Marriott | Harry Enfield | |
| Ordralfabétix | Unhygienix | François Morel | Jason Simpson | Richard McCourt | |
| Cétautomatix | Fulliautomatix | Lionnel Astier | Scott McNeil | Dominic Wood | |
| Jules César | Julius Caesar | Philippe Morier-Genoud | Mark Oliver | Jim Broadbent | |
| Anglaigus | Squaronthehypotenus | Lorànt Deutsch | Richard Ian Cox | ||
| Duplicatha | Flaturtha | Laurent Lafitte | Donny Lucas | ||
| Sénateur Prospectus | Senator Prospectus | Alain Chabat | Colin Murdock | ||
| Cubitus | Tofungus | Elie Semoun | Sam Vincent | ||
| Panoramix | Getafix | Bernard Alane | John Innes | ||
| Travaillerpluspourgagnerplus | Givusabonus | Florian Gazan | Scott McNeil | Jon Clifford | |
| Bonemine | Impedimenta | Florence Foresti | Saffron Henderson | Elizabeth Bower | |
| Assurancetourix | Cacofonix | Arnaud Leonard | Alan Marriott | ||
| Apeldjus | Mischiefus | Oscar Pauwels | Jack Gessner | Hannah Beth Jackson | |
| Iélosubmarine | Bacteria | Joëlle Sevilla | Riley Kramer | Elizabeth Bower | |
| Agecanonix | Geriatrix | Laurent Morteau | Ron Halder | ||
| Sénateur Pesticius | Senator Pestiferus | Brice Fournier | |||
| Sénateur Falérius | Senator Fastidius | Christophe Bourseiller | Andrew Toth | ||
| Sénateur Samus | Senator Consensus | Olivier Saladin | Marco Soriano | ||
| Humérus | Humerus | Franck Pitiot | Michael Adamthwaite | ||
| Radius | Sébastien Lalanne | Andrew Toth | |||
| Médecin | Doctor | Benjamin Gauthier | John Innes | ||
| Gladiateur 1 | Goth Gladiator | Pascal Demolon | Scott McNeil | ||
| Gladiateur 2 | Black Numidian Gladiator | Baptiste Lecaplain | Sam Vincent | ||
| Dames romaines | Roman Ladies | Virginia Anderson | Jennifer Cameron | ||
| Pauline Moingeon-Vallès | Saffron Henderson | ||||
| Médius | Serius | Damien Gillard | Marco Soriano | ||
| Mosaïste | Mosaic Artist | Sébastien Lalanne | Sam Vincent | ||
| Le guide | Guide | Benjamin Gauthier | Andrew Toth | ||
| Romain benêt | Cluelus | Louis Clichy | |||
| Brutes romaines | Roman Brutes | Damien Gillard | Marco Soriano | ||
Critical reception and box office performance
Debuting on 26 November 2014 in France with a release spanning 696 cinemas, the film generated $7.64 million during its first week from close to 780,000 ticket sales. It secured the top position at the box office, outperforming major Hollywood releases such as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and Interstellar, which were in their second and fourth weeks respectively. The film’s opening weekend ranked as the third most successful in France for 2014, surpassing the initial earnings of popular animated titles including Frozen, Tangled, Monsters, Inc., Cars, and The Lego Movie. Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter commented that "Astier and Clichy deliver an engaging and significant story, complemented by polished visuals that avoid overcrowding the screen."
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFMCA Award | Best Original Score for an Animated Feature Film | Philippe Rombi | Template:Nominated |
Home media release
Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods became available on DVD, VOD, and Blu-ray on 9 June 2015 through M6 Vidéo.
Sequel
A follow-up film titled Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion was released in 2018.