Introduction

The latest Asterix and Obelix adventure, which premiered in theaters on February 1, did not meet the expected success, especially among critics. Despite its star-studded cast, the audience did not connect with the storyline and found the humor to be quite overbearing in this latest Gallic duo’s escapade. Its rating of 1.8/5 on Allociné clearly reflects this. However, the film’s director, Guillaume Canet, expressed in an interview with Journal du Dimanche last May that Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom was “absolutely not a failure” and that he received positive feedback from people, especially children, in the streets.

Gérard Darmon’s Defense

In a recent interview with Télé-loisirs (reported by Gala media), actor Gérard Darmon defended Guillaume Canet’s film. However, he also mentioned, “There were some very good and some not-so-good aspects. Yes, the film had a high budget and we could have expected more.” When Guillaume Canet approached Darmon to lend his voice to the character of Asterix, Darmon declined, deciding to stop participating in the franchise after portraying Amonbofils in the part envisioned by Alain Chabat. He stated, “I promised myself never to make Asterix again, and I will keep my word. Alain Chabat’s version is enough for me. He is undoubtedly the best and will always be.”

The Film’s Performance and Global Success

With a budget of 65 million euros and approximately 4.5 million admissions in France, it initially appears that Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom did not achieve significant success locally. However, according to Ardavan Safaee, the president of Pathé, the reality is quite different. During an interview with Boxoffice pro on YouTube (via Allociné), he stated, “With close to 5 million admissions, we are far from being ridiculous. Additionally, there are international releases and video revenues that are yet to come.” Internationally, the film performed better. According to Unifrance, it surpassed two million admissions in other countries, making it the most successful French film abroad since the pandemic. It was released in 35 countries and generated a total of 13.4 million euros.