Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra

Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (French: Astérix et Obélix : Mission Cléopâtre) is a 2002 French/Italian fantasy comedy film written and directed by Alain Chabat and adapted from the comic book series Asterix by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Based on the book Asterix and Cleopatra, which had previously been adapted into a 1968 animated film. A sequel to Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999), it is the second installment in the Asterix film series.

Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
French theatrical release poster
Directed byAlain Chabat
Written byAlain Chabat
Based onAsterix and Cleopatra
by René Goscinny
Albert Uderzo
Produced byClaude Berri
StarringGérard Depardieu
Christian Clavier
Jamel Debbouze
Alain Chabat
Monica Bellucci
Claude Rich
Gérard Darmon
CinematographyLaurent Dailland
Edited byStéphane Pereira
Music byPhilippe Chany
Production
companies
Katharina/Renn Productions
TF1 Films Production
Chez Wam
Distributed byPathé Distribution (France, United Kingdom and Switzerland)
Miramax Films[1] (Select territories; through Buena Vista International[2])
Release dates
30 January 2002 (France)
18 October 2002 (UK)
24 June 2005 (USA)
Running time
107 min.
CountriesFrance
Italy
LanguageFrench
Budget$58.5 million[3]
Box office$128 million[4]

Christian Clavier and Gérard Depardieu reprise their roles as Asterix and Obelix, alongside newcomers Jamel Debbouze, Monica Bellucci, Claude Rich, Gérard Darmon, Édouard Baer, Dieudonné, and Chabat himself.

It was the most expensive French movie at that time, before being beaten by A Very Long Engagement two years later. A critical success, it was also a major box office success in France, becoming its most successful film in 36 years and second biggest commercial success of all time after 1966's La Grande Vadrouille.

Plot

Infuriated by belittlements, Queen Cleopatra makes a deal with Julius Caesar: if the Egyptians build a palace at Alexandria, in three months, which is larger than Caesar's palace in Rome he must acknowledge that Egypt was the greatest of nations. To perform this task, Cleopatra hires the architect Numerobis, on pain of death and much to the dismay of Pyradonis, Cleopatra's customary architect. He and his secretary Papyris discuss the druid Getafix (Panoramix in the original French), whose potion empowers its drinkers; and Numerobis goes in search of him.

Numerobis arrives in Gaul and persuades Getafix to embark with him to Alexandria. Once they arrive, they use the druid's magic potion to speed up the construction (with Cleopatra's permission), and Pyradonis realizes he must stop Numerobis from finishing the palace within the deadline by sabotage (such as getting Asterix, Obelix and Getafix lost in a pyramid, or framing them for Cleopatra's failed assassination). After failing multiple times, Pyradonis finally decides to inform Caesar about the potion's use and the potential victory of Cleopatra. Caesar knows the Gauls (having failed to capture their village multiple times) and decides to besiege the construction site until Asterix, Obelix and Getafix surrender. Numerobis, Papyris and the three Gallics defend the site and decide to inform Cleopatra of Caesar's actions. Meanwhile, Pyradonis and Numerobis, both after drinking the potion, fight in the site until Numerobis finally wins the duel. Cleopatra arrives on the battlefield and reprimands Caesar's lack of sportsmanship. The Romans are forced to stop the siege and assist in the continuation of the construction, which is finished on time. The palace is inaugurated and Caesar counterwillingly names Egypt the greatest Empire there ever was. Numerobis wins a large amount of gold, Getafix receives manuscripts from the Library of Alexandria, and all the protagonists partake in a banquet (including some of the movie's Roman antagonists).

Cast
CharacterActor name
Asterix Christian Clavier
Obelix Gérard Depardieu
Numerobis / Edifis Jamel Debbouze
Otis Édouard Baer
Cleopatra Monica Bellucci
Nexusis Edouard Montoute
Julius Caesar Alain Chabat
Getafix Claude Rich
Amonbofis / Criminalis Gérard Darmon
Itinéris (Vodafonis) Isabelle Nanty
Cartapus Chantal Lauby
Sucettalanis Marina Foïs
Caius Céplus Dieudonné
Caius Antivirus Jean-Paul Rouve
Redbeard Bernard Farcy
Chamandra Noémie Lenoir
The taster Dominique Besnehard
Caesar's secretary Emma de Caunes
The tiler Zinedine Soualem
Narrator Pierre Tchernia

Additional Actors
  • Jean Benguigi (Crustaceous)
  • Michel Elias
  • Sophie Noël (Redbeard’s Daughter)

Voice cast
CharacterUnited KingdomUnited States
Asterix David Coburn
Banquet Doorman
Obelix Dominic Fumusa
Edifis Yul Vazquez
Otis David Cowgill
Cleopatra Diane Neal
Julius Caesar T. Scott Cunningham
Getafix Philip Proctor
Amonbofis Tom Weiner
Cellularservis Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
Kittypus Edie Mirman
Handmaiden Bridget Hoffman
Gluteus Maximus Lex Lang
Caius Lucius Tom Kenny
Gimmeakis Peggy O'Neal
Tiler Sean McPhillips
Narrator Erik Bergmann

Additional UK/US Voices

Music

Soundtrack

Release

Theatrical

The film had the widest opening in France at the time, opening on 950 screens.[5]

Home media

In the United Kingdom, it was watched by 570,000 viewers on television during the first half of 2005, making it the most-watched foreign-language film on UK television during that period.[6]

References
  1. "Miramax stamps 'Asterix' passport". Variety. 31 May 2001. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  2. "Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2001)". UniFrance. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  3. JP. "Astérix et Obélix: Mission Cléopatre ()". JP's Box-Office (Version Mobile) (in French). Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  4. "Asterix et Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002)". Box Office Mojo. 7 June 2002. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  5. James, Alison (24 December 2001). "Homegrown pix gain in Europe". Variety. p. 7.
  6. "4. Film on UK Television in the First Half of 2005". Research and Statistics Bulletin. British Film Institute, UK Film Council. 3 (1): 20-34 (26-7). September 2005. Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via Yumpu.
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