Movie Name Asterix
at the Olympic Games
Released 30 January, 2008
Genre Family, Fantasy
Runtime 116 min
Director(s) Frédéric Forestier, Thomas Langmann
Producer(s) Jérôme Seydoux, Thomas Langmann
Writer(s) René Goscinny (original comic book), Thomas Langmann,
Alexandre Charlot, Frank Magnier
Distribution Pathé Renn Productions
Country France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium
Language French, Portuguese.
Asterix at the Olympic Games Plot
Asterix
at the Olympic Games Plot
Asterix at the Olympic Games (French: Astérix aux Jeux Olympiques) is a
French movie, 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.
Astérix and Obélix have to win the Olympic Games in order to help
their friend Alafolix 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 Alafolix and
Irina was not featured in the original story. Brutus, portrayed here as
a comical villain, is the main antagonist, while he was not even
depicted in the comic.
Clovis Cornillac replaced Christian Clavier as Astérix. Jean-Pierre
Cassel - playing his last film role - was the third actor to portray
Druid Panoramix (Getafix), after Claude Piéplu and Claude Rich, while
Alain Delon was the third actor to portray Julius Caesar in a live
action Asterix film, after Gottfried John and Alain Chabat. Gérard
Depardieu (as Obélix) is the only actor to reprise his part in all
three films. There is a cameo of Adriana Sklenaříková as Mrs
Geriatrix (replacing Arielle Dombasle in the first movie), and Jamel
reprises his role as Numerobis.
The film featured several cameos by real-life sport stars, such as
Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt, Zinedine Zidane, Tony Parker or 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.
