Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom
Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (French: Astérix et Obélix: l'Empire du Milieu) is a 2023 French live-action adventure comedy film directed by Guillaume Canet, who also stars as Asterix. It is the fifth installment in the Asterix live-action film series.
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French theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Guillaume Canet |
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| Based on | Asterix by René Goscinny Albert Uderzo |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | André Chemetoff |
| Edited by | Simon Jacquet |
| Music by | Matthieu Chedid |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Pathé Distribution |
Release dates |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Budget | $72.4 million |
| Box office | $46.5 million |
The film, which co-stars Gilles Lellouche as Obelix, sees the title heroes travel to Han-era China for the first time. The original story is based on a script by Philippe Mechelen and Julien Hervé. Canet also collaborated on the script. It is the first live-action Asterix film not based on any of the comic albums or starring Gérard Depardieu as Obelix.
Shooting was originally planned to take place in 2020 in China but was delayed for a year and relocated to France due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Budgeted at $72.4 million, the film is co-produced by Pathé, Les Enfants Terribles and Paris-based Tresor Films. It was theatrically released in France on 1 February 2023, and on Netflix in select regions in 19 May 2023. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics and grossed $46 million worldwide against a budget of $72 million, making it a box-office bomb.