how Guillaume Canet managed Zlatan Ibrahimović?

Asterix and Obelix by Guillaume Canet

After Claude Zidi (Asterix and Obelix versus Caesar), Alain Chabat (Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra), Frederic Forestier and Thomas Langmann (Asterix at the Olympics), and Laurent Tirard (Asterix and Obelix: At Her Majesty’s Service), it is the turn of Guillaume Canet to attack the irreducible Gauls. The actor and director will offer this year Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Empirestill drawn from the characters of René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, but this time froman original script.

For the occasion, Canet offered himself the role of Asterix, and Gilles Lellouche Obelix’s. The duo find themselves embarked on a new adventure when the princess of china, Fu-Yi, goes to Gaul to ask the warriors for help. In his country, a coup was carried out and his mother, the Empress of China, is now imprisoned. And as if that weren’t enough, Caesar, always on the right track, sees it as an opportunity for him to become Emperor of China. The Gauls will therefore also have to face his army.

As with every Asterix and Obelix film, Guillaume Canet did not skimp on the characters. And his scenario allows him to multiply them to offer a whole bunch of cameos (or more) with personalities of the moment. Thus, in addition to having Vincent Cassel and Marion Cotillard in César and Cleopatra, we find in particular Jonathan Cohen, Ramzy Bedia, Linh-Dan Pham, Manu Payet, José Garcia, Jérôme Commandeur, Audrey Lamy, Vincent Desagnat, Franck Gastambide and even Angela.

The Zlatan Ibrahimovic case

Many other names are present in the credits of the film, but if there is one that dominates the others (well, according to him), it is that of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The football player who passed through Inter, Barcelona or even Paris, and now at AC Milan, agreed to participate in the production. A relevant idea when you know the character of the player.

This last does not have his tongue in his pocket and has fun thinking of himself as the best. We owe him, for example, this brilliant repartee when Thierry Henry pointed out to him that he was not on a fresco on a wall in Manchester: “It’s because they don’t know what a God looks like“.

Guest at the microphone of RTLGuillaume Canet was able to testify to his experience with the football star. He then explains that Zlatan had only one requirement, to only talk to the director. Even when his assistants had to organize the shooting, or for logistical matters.

For everything. Until he arrived at the premiere. Know what time, what plane. I was the only one who had to answer. He called me “boss” and me “champ”. But it is extremely easy. He is kind. He just only wanted to talk to me. And he was very funny.

The director ends by telling an anecdote. After offering him the role and indicating that he would play Caesar’s right arm, the player paused before saying: “How can Caesar play Caesar’s right arm?“. A classic for Zlatan!

Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Empire is to be discovered on February 1, 2023 at the cinema.