Le Petit Nicolas, but also Sempé and Goscinny, appear together in the same animated film. The directors Amandine Fredon and Benjamin Massoubre had this rich idea to Le Petit Nicolas – What are we waiting for to be happy?Cristal 2022 of the Annecy Festival, to mix the adventures of the legendary teasing kid with those of its creators.
“It was Anne Goscinny who imagined this concept, explains Amandine Fredon to 20 minutes. She wanted to pay tribute to her father and the friendship he shared with Sempé, who died last summer. “So we go from black and white to color and tasty exchanges between the two geniuses (to which Alain Chabat and Laurent Lafitte lend their voices) to the jokes of Nicolas and his little friends.
Friendship as a driving force
“We first thought of using archive images to show the duo formed by Goscinny and Sempé, specifies Amandine Fredon, but the documents made available to us were not of good enough quality so we resorted to drawing . And it’s pure magic! The two friends happily come back to life in animation to give birth to their common child: a little Nicolas, more mischievous than ever, whom we follow at home, at school or even in summer camp. Nothing to do with live-action films that are not very faithful to the books, this return of a delicious universe to the world of drawing is a feast for the eyes.
“It’s a bit of a trip back in time, to a France that no longer exists,” insists Amandine Fredon. These adventures are timeless because they appeal to both toddlers and their parents. When the kids get confused, the tone remains good-natured. “It’s a bit like fights in Asterix who are never mean,” insists Amandine Fredon.
Happiness in the halls
The joyful humor and tender humor that make the charm of the books are found in this film playing on a whole range of emotions, especially when it evokes authors who we miss so much. The directors’ respect for the original work did not hold them back, but allowed them to pay warm homage to it. “Qhat are we waiting for to be happy? asks the song by Ray Ventura which gives its title to the film. No need to be patient: The little Nicolasit’s happiness to be seized immediately in cinemas.