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15 Dec 2022

CITROËN MEETS ASTERIX: THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN TWO LEGENDS OF THE FRENCH CULTURE IN THE MOVIE “ASTERIX AND OBELIX: THE MIDDLE KINGDOM”

  Citroën's exceptional cooperation with the productors Pathé, Trésor Films and the Editions Albert René has made it possible to create the first "concept chariot" made in Gaul and inspired by the iconic 2CV.   Citroën provided the team with an entirely electric fleet of 10 vehicles during the shooting of the Asterix movie, a first for a French blockbuster.   Citroën and the world of Asterix are an integral part of French history. This partnership gave rise to the creation of a particular evolution of the new Citroën logo: the famous chevrons inserted in an oval enhanced with the wings of Asterix’s helmet!

  • Citroën's exceptional cooperation with the productors Pathé, Trésor Films and the Editions Albert René has made it possible to create the first "concept chariot" made in Gaul and inspired by the iconic 2CV.

 

  • Citroën provided the team with an entirely electric fleet of 10 vehicles during the shooting of the Asterix movie, a first for a French blockbuster.

 

  • Citroën and the world of Asterix are an integral part of French history. This partnership gave rise to the creation of a particular evolution of the new Citroën logo: the famous chevrons inserted in an oval enhanced with the wings of Asterix’s helmet!

 

 

Poissy, December 15, 2022 - Citroën and Pathé, Trésor Films and the Editions Albert René are kickstarting their partnership with the upcoming movie Astérix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom. Produced by Pathé, Trésor Films and les Enfants Terribles, the film is directed by Guillaume Canet and will be launched in movie theatres in France on February 1st 2023. The movie will be released internationally shortly after.

 

This partnership is unlike any other which Citroën has had. This partnership has involved the design and creation of a concept chariot by Citroën specifically for the needs of this movie, something unprecedented for the brand. The design teams of Citroën were implicated in this project from the very onset, and they pulled off something incredible -- they designed and built the chariot within 3 months, whereas the timeline for the sketching and manufacturing of a concept is usually 1 year.

 

“The encounter between these two legends of the French culture could be nothing short of extraordinary, there has been a proximity, sincerity and mutual respect between the Citroën and the Asterix movie teams since the beginning. We were presented with this incredible opportunity to create and build a concept chariot from scratch, and we had the most amazing time working on this project! The result is an ode to the 2CV, the legendary car which represents Citroën in all its glory”, says Pierre Leclercq, Global Design Director, Citroën.

 

Indeed, the 2CV is a car which is part of the French cultural heritage. Its silhouette is recognizable anywhere in the world. The 2CV represents the French way of life for many. In the movie Asterix& Obelix: The Middle Kingdom, the “concept chariot” is a reinterpretation of the 2CV and it is representative of the Gallic way of life. The design teams at Citroën did a reinterpretation of the brand’s DNA core values of comfort, technology and bold design and added a special touch for the Asterix movie. The result is a concept chariot with suspensions made of boar's stomach, a sunroof, headlights, taken from Gallic helmets, operated by fireflies boosted with the magic potion, wheels made of recycled shields, incorporating Citroën’s chevrons.

 

A lot of thought has gone into the creation of the concept chariot for this movie. There are several sequences where this is illustrated. The sequence where the heroes are about to leave their village to go to China shows a team which is united and heading off for a great adventure. Before they set off, Cétautomatix presents the chariot to Obelix and shows off the latest innovations which he brought to it so that their trip goes as smoothly as possible. Further in the movie, when Cesar’s army reaches China, there is a first advertising billboard at the entrance of the country promoting the best car at the time: the 2CV, an incredible chariot made in Gaul, pulled by 2 horses. This is a subtle allusion to the famous Citroën advertising film made on the Great Wall of China.

 

Finally, to underline the strength of this partnership, the new Citroën logo comes to life and sports the wings of Asterix’s helmet for the occasion.

 

 

 

BEHIND THE SCENES

 

The ‘behind the scenes’ constitutes a significant component in this partnership. Citroën provided the team with an entirely electric fleet during the shooting of the Asterix movie. The fleet was made up of 10 vehicles: 3 ë-C4, 3 C5 Aircross PHEV, 2 ë-Spacetourer, 1 Ami and 1 ë-Jumpy. Citroën also helped with the covering of charging stations for those vehicles on the filming sites of Bry-sur-Marne and Bretigny-sur-Orge.

 

Sustainability was a key aspect all throughout the shooting of this movie. The electric fleet provided by Citroën was the Asterix team’s effort to contribute to decarbonization. The team worked with an agency which implemented some processes to limit waste as much as possible. For example, the costumes were recycled and reused for other purposes, the cardboards were recycled which resulted in the saving of 2 tons of wood. Also, all the wooden crates were given to two urban farms in the Ile-de-France region. 

 

“At Pathé, it is the first time that we shot a movie using such an important electric fleet. Citroën helped us with the installation of the TOUTELECTRIX charging stations in the colours of the Asterix film. This electric mobility mode was of course an adaptation for many of us, but our team rose brilliantly to this challenge. Building on this successful experience, we are confident to replicate this disposal during our next productions.“  adds Yohann Stoll, Head of Brand Partnerships & Sponsoring, Pathé Films.

 

 

 

A PARTNERSHIP UNLIKE ANY OTHER

 

Both Citroën and the character of Asterix are household names which are ingrained within the French culture: Citroën is an automotive car manufacturer created by André Citroën in 1919 and the brand has marked the history of the automotive industry from the Traction, the 2CV to the CX. Today, Citroën is paving the way for the mobility of tomorrow with the non-conformist object Ami or with its latest concept car, oli. Asterix is a French comic book series created in 1959 by French screenwriter René Goscinny and the French cartoonist Albert Uderzo in the French newspaper Pilote. The Albert René Editions own and manage the rights to the adventures of Asterix. The company publishes the comic books and sources new projects on Asterix, particularly films and cartoons. To this date, there have been 385 million albums sold in 111 languages and dialects globally.

 

The first adaptation of Asterix for cinema was in 1967 with the movie Asterix the Gaul, directed by Ray Goossens. To this day, the Asterix saga comprises 15 films and cartoons, with over 25 million of viewers in France and over 70 million worldwide. It shares with Citroën the incredible ability to bring together all the spectators with an unbridled sense of comedy, the manufacturer being one of the rare car brands that uses offbeat humor to convey its messages.

 

Finally, the long journey of Asterix and Obelix in China is reminiscent of Citroën's Central-Asia mission, also called the Yellow Cruise which took place from April 4, 1931 to February 12, 1932, linking Beirut to Beijing. It was the third expedition of its kind by car on the initiative of Citroën, after the crossing of the Sahara and the Black Expedition.

 

The film will be released on February 1st 2023 in movie theatres in France first, followed by a worldwide release shortly after.

 

The teaser of the movie Asterix et Obelix: The Middle Kingdom is available on the link here.

 

The link to the concept chariot is available here.

 

 

 

ASSETS AVAILABLE AT :

Partenariat_CITROEN_ASTERIX_2022

 

 

 

 

Contact:

SHANEEZ SUDOOLLAH

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

SHANEEZ.SUDOOLLAH@citroen.com

TEL +33 (0)6 70 90 30 19

 

Contact:

SYLVIE KRYGIER
PRODUCT PRESS OFFICER

SYLVIE.KRYGIER@citroen.com

TÉL. : +33 (0)6 09 13 33 13 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                       

Citroën

Since 1919, Citroën has been creating automobiles, technologies and mobility solutions to respond to changes in society. A brand of boldness and innovation, Citroën places peace of mind and well-being at the heart of its customer experience and offers a wide range of models, from the distinctive Ami, an electric mobility object designed for the city, to saloons, SUVs and commercial vehicles, most of which are available in electric or rechargeable hybrid versions. A pioneer brand in the services and attention paid to its private and professional customers, Citroën is present in 101 countries and has a network of 6,200 points of sale and service throughout the world.

For more information about Citroën, visit the media site at https://fr-media.citroen.com

 

Pathé Films

Pathé is the largest film company in the European Union. Founded in 1896, it co-produced CODA, which won three Oscars in 2022: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. The company is a leading operator of cinemas in France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Tunisia, and is also present in Belgium. In total, it operates over 1,300 screens.

With its expansive catalogue, Pathé has been producing and distributing films for more than 120 years from Paris and London. Its production budget is currently the largest in its history.

 

Les Editions Albert René

Les Editions Albert René owns and manages all the rights to the adventures of Asterix, created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. The company publishes Asterix comics and is developing new projects based on the character, including films and cartoons. Asterix is also an international publishing phenomenon, with 390 million albums sold in 111 languages and dialects. Asterix has been an extraordinary success at the cinema: the four live-action film adaptations have sold 71 million tickets worldwide, and the ten animated films have also attracted millions of filmgoers. Les Editions Albert René also licenses derivative products and promotional campaigns, including for Parc Astérix near Paris.

 

Trésor Films

With more than 30 films to date that have sold nearly 30 million tickets and won prestigious awards in France and abroad, Trésor Films has championed its vision of cinema as an independent, challenging and mainstream artform for over 20 years. Never hesitating to go off the beaten track, Trésor supports strong offerings and favours bold points of view. In an effort to reinvent itself and diversify its expertise, Trésor is now also involved in audiovisual production and theatrical distribution of feature films.

 

Les Enfants Terribles 

Co-founded in 2014 by producer Yohan Baiada, Les Enfants Terribles is an independent production company which works closely with great French and international actors in the sector (Wild Bunch International, Muse Films (USA), Creative Artists Agency (USA) ou Jet Tone Films (Chine). Counting on a line-up as eclectic as it is impertinent, the company really helps to reveal talents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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