Guillaume Canet is not afraid of the sky falling on his head. For Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, he not only took the Gauls to live new adventures in China to prevent Caesar from conquering this distant territory, but he tried to renew the workforce. Thus, Gilles Lellouche replaces Gérard Depardieu in Obélix while Guillaume Canet chose himself to play Asterix.
“For the casting, I act on instinct,” he confides to 20 minutes. It has always worked for me. For the Asterix and Obelix duo, it was still a little risky because I surrounded myself with many other stars. “Among them, we can cite Marion Cotillard, Vincent Cassel, José Garcia, Jonathan Cohen, and Ramzy Bedia who have a field day in characters cut to their (dis)measurements.
A return to childhood
The great and pleasant surprise of the film is Gilles Lellouche. He embraces the role of Obélix with a palpable gluttony. “Gérard Depardieu gave me advice that I used throughout the shoot,” he explains to 20 minutes. He told me to remember that Obelix constantly has glitter in his eyes. After following a draconian diet and training, the actor has become this tender and naive being who discovers the joys of a love shared with a Chinese warrior.
“It was a throwback to childhood,” says Gilles Lellouche. Guillaume Canet does not regret giving him the role. “Gilles has really become the Obélix created by Goscinny and Uderzo, he notes. He has the tenderness and the touching side. »
A story of friendship on both sides of the camera
Gilles Lellouche was not content to give the reply to Asterix / Guillaume Canet. He was also the one who recommended that he play Asterix. “At first, I thought I was playing César, remembers the director. Gilles made me change my mind and he was all the more right that I find Vincent Cassel impeccable in the role. “Gilles Lellouche also supported his friend on the set. “You often have to wait a long time on a set and, rather than pulling your head or locking myself in, I preferred to stay present to support Guillaume, he says. Because our friendship goes far beyond fiction. This is felt in this pharaonic fresco rich in gags, adventures, Romans and slaps of all kinds.