Asterix films (live action)
| Industry | Film |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Live-action feature films |
Asterix and Obelix represents a French live-action movie series adapted from the comic book creations of Albert Uderzo and Rene Goscinny. This collection comprises five feature films centered on the exploits of Asterix and Obelix, two Gaulish warriors who defy Roman rule with the help of a magical potion that bestows extraordinary strength.
In the initial two movies, Christian Clavier took on the role of Asterix, while Gérard Depardieu portrayed Obelix. Depardieu stands out as the sole actor to appear in four installments, with Gilles Lellouche succeeding him in the fifth film. After the first two films, the character of Asterix was played by different actors: Clovis Cornillac in the third, Édouard Baer in the fourth, and Guillaume Canet in the fifth. Apart from Depardieu and Clavier, only Sim (as Geriatrix) and Jamel Debbouze (as architect Edifis) returned for multiple films; other recurring characters were recast with new actors each time.
The series continued with its fourth entry, Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia, released in 2012, followed by the fifth film, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, which premiered in 2023.
Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999)
The debut live-action film portrays the Gauls’ defiance against Roman imperial forces, drawing inspiration from several original albums by Goscinny and Uderzo. Under the direction of Claude Zidi, it stars notable French performers such as Christian Clavier, Gérard Depardieu, Roberto Benigni, Michel Galabru, and Claude Piéplu. The movie enjoyed widespread commercial acclaim throughout France and Europe.
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002)
This chapter follows Asterix and Obelix as they journey to Egypt to aid architect Numerobis in constructing a palace for Queen Cleopatra within a ninety-day deadline set by Julius Caesar. Unlike other adaptations that blend multiple stories, this film closely adheres to the sixth comic book, Asterix and Cleopatra. Directed by Alain Chabat—who also appears in the cast—it reunites leads Clavier and Depardieu while featuring new supporting actors replacing some from the original movie. Renowned for its modern humor and nods to pop culture phenomena such as The Matrix, it ranks among Europe’s most costly productions with a budget exceeding $50 million and achieved significant box office returns.
Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008)
Released in 2008, Astérix at the Olympic Games is the third live-action adaptation based on the comic bearing the same title. Clovis Cornillac assumed the role of Asterix, succeeding Christian Clavier, while Gérard Depardieu reprised his role as Obelix. The rest of the cast was refreshed, including celebrity cameos by Tony Parker, Zinedine Zidane, and Michael Schumacher. Filming commenced in June 2006 with plans to coincide its release with the Beijing Olympic Games. Directed by Frédéric Forestier and Thomas Langmann, its budget reportedly nearly doubled that of its predecessor.
Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia (2012)
Premiering in October 2012, Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia marks the fourth live-action installment. Adapted from Asterix in Britain, it introduced Édouard Baer as Asterix, replacing Clovis Cornillac in this leading role.
Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (2023)
The fifth installment in the live-action series, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, premiered in February 2023. Originally scheduled for partial filming in China during 2020, the production was delayed until 2021 and subsequently shifted to locations in France and Morocco. Guillaume Canet directed the movie and also portrayed Asterix, while Gilles Lellouche took on the role of Obelix.
Cast and characters
| Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999) |
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002) |
Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008) |
Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia (2012) |
Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (2023) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gauls | |||||
| Asterix | Christian Clavier | Clovis Cornillac | Édouard Baer | Guillaume Canet | |
| Obelix | Gérard Depardieu | Gilles Lellouche | |||
| Druid Getafix | Claude Piéplu | Claude Rich | Jean-Pierre Cassel | Pierre Richard | |
| Chief Vitalstatistix | Michel Galabru | Éric Thomas | Michel Duchaussoy | Jérôme Commandeur | |
| Cacofonix | Pierre Palmade | Franck Dubosc | Philippe Katerine | ||
| Impedimenta | Marianne Sägebrecht | Dorothée Jemma | Gaëlle Jeantet | Audrey Lamy | |
| Unhygienix | Jean-Jacques Devaux | Tony Gaultier | Chicandier | ||
| Geriatrix | Sim | Sim | Philippe Canet | ||
| Mrs. Geriatrix | Arielle Dombasle | Adriana Karembeu | |||
| Fulliautomatix | Jean-Roger Milo | Eduardo Gómez | André Kalmes | ||
| Panacea | Laetitia Casta | Angèle | |||
| Romans | |||||
| Julius Caesar | Gottfried John | Alain Chabat | Alain Delon | Fabrice Luchini | Vincent Cassel |
| Brutus | Didier Cauchy | Victor Loukianenko | Benoît Poelvoorde | ||
English voice cast
| Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999) |
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002) |
Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008) |
Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (2023) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gauls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asterix | Olaf Wijnants | David Coburn | Adam Rhys Dee | Obelix | Terry Jones | Dominic Fumusa | Cristian Solimeno | Druid Getafix | John Baddeley | Philip Proctor |
Unknown |
Chief Vitalstatistix | "Douglas Blackwell" |
Unknown |
Cacofonix | "David Holt" |
Unknown |
Impedimenta | "Edita Brychta" |
Unknown |
Unhygienix | "Kerry Shale" |
Unknown |
Geriatrix | "David Graham" |
Unknown |
Mrs. Geriatrix | "Kate Harbour" |
style="background: #EEE; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-cast"| |
Fulliautomatix | "David Cocker" |
Unknown |
Panacea | "Denise Rivera" |
colspan="2" style="background: #EEE; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-cast"| Unknown |
Romans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Julius Caesar] | [Peter Marinker] | [T. Scott Cunningham] | [] | [Nicholas Boulton] | [] | [Brutus] | [colspan=2 cNone] | [] | [] | [Crismus Bonus] | [Rodney Beddal] | [cNone] | [] | [] |
|---|
| -- Egyptians -- | -- Edifis -- | -- Criminalis -- | -- Queen Cleopatra -- | -- -- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -- Edifis -- | -- cNone -- | -- Yul Vazquez -- | -- cNone -- | -- -- |
| -- Criminalis -- | -- cNone -- | -- Tom Wyner -- | -- colspan=2 cNone -- | |
| -- Queen Cleopatra -- | -- cNone -- | -- Diane Neal -- | -- cNone -- | -- Jessica Carroll -- |
| -- Pirates -- | -- Captain Bloody Beard -- | -- Pegleg -- | - - | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -- Captain Bloody Beard -- | -- cNone -- | -- Bob Papenbrook -- | -- cNone -- | -- Unknown -- |
| -- Pegleg -- | -- cNone -- | -- Philip Proctor -- | -- colspan=2 cNone -- |