Often, when we talk about the ills of the film industry and how cinema is losing its meaning and becoming dominated by features that struggle to be called “art,” the examples that are brought up include franchise films and sequels (many of which are based on existing IPs) with massive all-star casts. But guess what? American film isn’t the only segment of filmmaking to blame. The French will sometimes put out some questionable, silly films in an attempt to earn a quick buck. Just look at the new “Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom” to see how franchise films with big casts are all over the world.
As seen in the trailer for “Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom,” the film is part of the long-running ‘Asterix’ franchise, which includes a number of live-action and animated features, as well as decades-worth of comic books. This time, Asterix and Obelix find themselves experiencing all sorts of whacky hijinks while in China.
However, while American audiences might not be as familiar with ‘Asterix’ as French folks, the list of names involved is pretty surprising, with people such as Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel, and Guillaume Canet all starring in the film. The latter also performs double-duty as the title character, Asterix, as well as the director and co-writer of the film. Canet is probably best known for his award-winning work as the filmmaker behind the thriller, “Tell No One.”
Is “Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom” going to be a terrible film? Maybe not. It looks perfectly delightful and is an earnest attempt to bring the classic comic to life. But it does go to show that not all French films are “important” pieces of art. Every country is out there turning in some schlock too. And good for them!
“Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom” is set to release in February 2023.