Astérix & Obélix: L’ empire du Milieu: live-action film adaptation based on the comic book characters of René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, who must undertake a long journey to save the Empress of China and her entire country.
Plot and background
In 50 BC, the Empress of China is imprisoned after a coup d’état by the treacherous Prince Deng Tsin Qin. With the help of a Phoenician merchant and her devoted bodyguard, Princess Sass-Yi manages to escape to Gaul, where the empress’s only daughter asks the heroic warriors Asterix (Guillaume Canet) and Obelix (Gilles Lellouche) for help. The two inseparable Gauls have superhuman strength thanks to a magic potion and immediately agree to help the princess liberate China and save the empress from the clutches of Deng Tsin Qin. For the two brave friends begins an adventurous journey to faraway China, but they have made their bill without the Romans. Because Caesar (Vincent Cassel) and his powerful army do not want to miss the possible new conquest and are also on the way to the Middle Kingdom.
The trailer for the film shows humorous excerpts from the cinematic adventure:
“Asterix & Obelix in the Middle Kingdom” – cast, background, movie release
“Asterix & Obelix in the Middle Kingdom” is based on the adventures of the famous comic characters by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. After more than 10 years, the popular Gauls are finally coming back to the big screen in a live-action film adaptation. However, the cast has changed quite a bit since the last cinema adventure “Asterix & Obelix – Im Auftrag ihrer Majestät” in 2012. Guillaume Canet (“The Beach”) was behind the camera as director and for the first time also as the clever Gaul Asterix. And the role of the good-natured, strong Obelix has also been recast with Gilles Lellouche (“A Pool Full of Men”). Alongside the popular main characters will be, among others, Oscar winner Marion Cotillard (“Inception”) as Queen Cleopatra and Vincent Cassel (“Black Swan”) as Roman emperor Caesar, as well as film legend and comedian Pierre Richard (“The Fugitives”). Swedish soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimović makes his acting debut with the role of Roman Antivirus.
“Asterix & Obelix in the Middle Kingdom” will be released in German cinemas on May 18, 2023.
