Latest news with #Asterix&Obelix:TheMiddleKingdom
South China Morning Post
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Asterix, Obelix now on Netflix, with animated miniseries out to gain them fans in US, Asia
France's beloved comic book heroes Asterix and Obelix have their latest incarnation in a Netflix miniseries that could win over new fans, notably in the United States and Asia. Advertisement The plucky Gauls, created by illustrator Albert Uderzo and writer René Goscinny in 1959, have a vast following thanks to the original comic books that have sold around 400 million copies. A series of big-budget French films – the latest took them to China in Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, in 2023 – has also helped expand their reach. However, warrior Asterix and his powerful but dim-witted sidekick Obelix are yet to win over viewers in the United States and Britain, which have their own comic-book and animated hero characters from Marvel, Disney and other stables. Director Alain Chabat (white hair and glasses) with voice actors from the Netflix miniseries Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight, in Paris. Photo: Reuters 'Often unfortunately in these markets, the Asterix films tend to be released in art house cinemas,' said Céleste Surugue, head of the Editions Albert René publishing company that owns the rights to the original comics.
Japan Today
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Asterix, Obelix and Netflix: U.S. streamer embraces Gallic heroes
By Aurélie CARABIN and Adam PLOWRIGHT France's beloved comic book heroes Asterix and Obelix are set for their latest incarnation in a Netflix mini-series being released Wednesday, hoping to win over new fans, notably in the United States and Asia. The plucky Gallic rebels, created by illustrator Albert Uderzo and writer Rene Goscinny in 1959, have a vast following thanks to the original comic books that have sold around 400 million copies. A series of big-budget French films -- the latest in 2023 took them to China in "Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom" -- has also helped expand their reach. But warrior Asterix and his powerful but dim-witted sidekick Obelix are yet to conquer viewers in the United States and Britain, which have their own comic book and animated hero characters from Marvel, Disney and other stables. "Often unfortunately in these markets the Asterix films tend to be released in arthouse cinemas," said Celeste Surugue, head of the Editions Albert Rene publishing company that owns the rights to the original comics. Although the tales of Roman-era adventure have a following in Australia and New Zealand, Asia also remains a global weak spot for the potion-swigging Gallic underdogs. "The strength of a streaming platform is that access to viewers isn't limited by distribution," Surugue said. Netflix is set to release the new five-part animated mini-series based on the 1966 book "Asterix and the Big Fight" in 190 countries, with 38 different language versions including Mandarin, Korean and Arabic. It is directed by Alain Chabat, 23 years after his success with the "Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra" film starring Gerard Depardieu and Monica Bellucci, which remains one of the best-selling films in France of all time. Netflix has past form with Asterix, having experimented with streaming rights for "The Middle Kingdom" film in 2023, which featured French A-listers Marion Cotillard and Vincent Cassel but suffered from generally poor reviews. The platform has also helped bring other French productions to a global audience, overcoming the traditional aversion of English speakers to subtitles with hit shows such as "Lupin" and "Call My Agent". While creating the dubbing for the new Asterix series, it was able to rely on the 120 different translations of the original French comics as well as the foreign-language versions of the previous films. "They've done a great job," Surugue said. "Asterix and the Big Fight" is set in the year 50 BC with Asterix and Obelix's indomitable village still the last Gallic holdout against Roman occupation. The duo oversee the resistance, including a fight between their chief Vitalstatistix and a local Roman-backed rival, while struggling with the loss of the recipe for the magic potion that gives the villagers their super-human strength. "I always liked 'The Big Fight' for the dynamic with the Gallo-Romans. Here, there are truly invaders, resistance fighters and collaborators," director Chabat told reporters in March. The 41st Asterix album, "Asterix in Lusitania", will be released in October in 18 languages and is set in Portugal. © 2025 AFP
France 24
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Asterix, Obelix and Netflix: US streamer embraces Gallic heroes
The plucky Gallic rebels, created by illustrator Albert Uderzo and writer Rene Goscinny in 1959, have a vast following thanks to the original comic books that have sold around 400 million copies. A series of big-budget French films -- the latest in 2023 took them to China in "Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom" -- has also helped expand their reach. But warrior Asterix and his powerful but dim-witted sidekick Obelix are yet to conquer viewers in the United States and Britain, which have their own comic book and animated hero characters from Marvel, Disney and other stables. "Often unfortunately in these markets the Asterix films tend to be released in arthouse cinemas," said Celeste Surugue, head of the Editions Albert Rene publishing company that owns the rights to the original comics. Although the tales of Roman-era adventure have a following in Australia and New Zealand, Asia also remains a global weak spot for the potion-swigging Gallic underdogs. "The strength of a streaming platform is that access to viewers isn't limited by distribution," Surugue said. Netflix is set to release the new five-part animated mini-series based on the 1966 book "Asterix and the Big Fight" in 190 countries, with 38 different language versions including Mandarin, Korean and Arabic. It is directed by Alain Chabat, 23 years after his success with the "Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra" film starring Gerard Depardieu and Monica Bellucci, which remains one of the best-selling films in France of all time. 'Great job' Netflix has past form with Asterix, having experimented with streaming rights for "The Middle Kingdom" film in 2023, which featured French A-listers Marion Cotillard and Vincent Cassel but suffered from generally poor reviews. The platform has also helped bring other French productions to a global audience, overcoming the traditional aversion of English speakers to subtitles with hit shows such as "Lupin" and "Call My Agent". While creating the dubbing for the new Asterix series, it was able to rely on the 120 different translations of the original French comics as well as the foreign-language versions of the previous films. "They've done a great job," Surugue said. "Asterix and the Big Fight" is set in the year 50 BC with Asterix and Obelix's indomitable village still the last Gallic holdout against Roman occupation. The duo oversee the resistance, including a fight between their chief Vitalstatistix and a local Roman-backed rival, while struggling with the loss of the recipe for the magic potion that gives the villagers their super-human strength. "I always liked 'The Big Fight' for the dynamic with the Gallo-Romans. Here, there are truly invaders, resistance fighters and collaborators," director Chabat told reporters in March. The 41st Asterix album, "Asterix in Lusitania", will be released in October in 18 languages and is set in Portugal.
Int'l Business Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Asterix, Obelix And Netflix: US Streamer Embraces Gallic Heroes
France's beloved comic book heroes Asterix and Obelix are set for their latest incarnation in a Netflix mini-series being released Wednesday, hoping to win over new fans, notably in the United States and Asia. The plucky Gallic rebels, created by illustrator Albert Uderzo and writer Rene Goscinny in 1959, have a vast following thanks to the original comic books that have sold around 400 million copies. A series of big-budget French films -- the latest in 2023 took them to China in "Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom" -- has also helped expand their reach. But warrior Asterix and his powerful but dim-witted sidekick Obelix are yet to conquer viewers in the United States and Britain, which have their own comic book and animated hero characters from Marvel, Disney and other stables. "Often unfortunately in these markets the Asterix films tend to be released in arthouse cinemas," said Celeste Surugue, head of the Editions Albert Rene publishing company that owns the rights to the original comics. Although the tales of Roman-era adventure have a following in Australia and New Zealand, Asia also remains a global weak spot for the potion-swigging Gallic underdogs. "The strength of a streaming platform is that access to viewers isn't limited by distribution," Surugue said. Netflix is set to release the new five-part animated mini-series based on the 1966 book "Asterix and the Big Fight" in 190 countries, with 38 different language versions including Mandarin, Korean and Arabic. It is directed by Alain Chabat, 23 years after his success with the "Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra" film starring Gerard Depardieu and Monica Bellucci, which remains one of the best-selling films in France of all time. Netflix has past form with Asterix, having experimented with streaming rights for "The Middle Kingdom" film in 2023, which featured French A-listers Marion Cotillard and Vincent Cassel but suffered from generally poor reviews. The platform has also helped bring other French productions to a global audience, overcoming the traditional aversion of English speakers to subtitles with hit shows such as "Lupin" and "Call My Agent". While creating the dubbing for the new Asterix series, it was able to rely on the 120 different translations of the original French comics as well as the foreign-language versions of the previous films. "They've done a great job," Surugue said. "Asterix and the Big Fight" is set in the year 50 BC with Asterix and Obelix's indomitable village still the last Gallic holdout against Roman occupation. The duo oversee the resistance, including a fight between their chief Vitalstatistix and a local Roman-backed rival, while struggling with the loss of the recipe for the magic potion that gives the villagers their super-human strength. "I always liked 'The Big Fight' for the dynamic with the Gallo-Romans. Here, there are truly invaders, resistance fighters and collaborators," director Chabat told reporters in March. The 41st Asterix album, "Asterix in Lusitania", will be released in October in 18 languages and is set in Portugal. Netflix has past form with the French comic book heroes AFP
