A French sequel to be partly shot in Malta
by David Kelleher
Asterix et Cleopatre - a follow-up to last year's No. 1 homegrown film, Asterix et Obelix contre Cesar, which raked in about £60m worldwide, will be partly filmed in Malta.
Produced by French producer Claude Berri, the film will star Christian Clavier and Gerard Depardieu as mismatched Gallic heroes Asterix and Obelix; Cleopatra has yet to be cast.
The "Asterix" films are based on the Rene Goscinny/Albert Uderzo comic books. Asterix et Obelix was, at £30m, the most expensive French-language film ever made, though some of the burden was shared by German and Italian partners. Although no budget is fixed, Asterix et Cleopatre is certain to have a higher price tag than its predecessor.
Shooting is set to begin in September in France, Malta and Morocco with Alain Chabat at the helm. Chabat, who also penned the script, is best known for his turn as a dog trapped inside a man's body in Didier, a film he also wrote and directed.
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