Naman Shrestha
The fifth installment in the ‘Asterix’ film series, Netflix’s ‘Astérix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom’ is a French action-adventure comedy movie that revolves around two Gallic heroes and long-time best friends, Asterix and Obelix, who are called into action by Princess Fu Yi. Being the only daughter of the Chinese Emperor Han Xuandi, she escapes from the clutches of a rogue prince named Deng Tsin Qin and flees to Gaul. So, Asterix and Obelix travel to Imperial China and do everything they can to save the Princess and her land.
Originally titled ‘Astérix & Obélix: L’Empire du Milieu,’ the live-action movie is helmed by Guillaume Canet, who also portrays Asterix. Apart from him, it consists of hilarious and action-packed performances from a talented ensemble comprising Gilles Lellouche, Vincent Cassel, Marion Cotillard, Jason Chicandier, and Jonathan Cohen. Set somewhere around 50 BC, the adventure movie unfolds in the village of Gauls and China as the smooth transition of backdrops keeps things intriguing for the audience. Thus, if the interesting use of locations makes you wonder where ‘Astérix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom’ was filmed, we have got you covered!
Astérix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom Filming Locations
‘Astérix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom’ was filmed in France and Morocco, particularly in the regions of Île-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Earlier, shooting for the movie was supposed to take place in 2020 in China, but following the COVID-19 pandemic and some political reasons, it got delayed for a year or so and relocated to France and Morocco.
Then, the principal photography for the action-adventure movie reportedly commenced in April 2021 and wrapped up after about 17 weeks of shooting in early August of the same year. As per reports, the movie consists of more than 285 VFX shots and CG crowd effects for the battle scenes. Now, without much ado, let’s go back in time and find out about the specific locations that feature in the Netflix movie!
Île-de-France, France
Most of ‘Astérix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom’ was lensed in the Île-de-France, a French region centered on the capital Paris, also known as the Paris Region. The production team reportedly utilized the facilities of Studios Bry at 2 Avenue de l’Europe, in the commune of Bry-sur-Marne. The film studio is home to eight sound stages spread across a surface area of 40,000 square meters, dressing and make-up rooms, storage rooms, and a vast backlot area, making it one of the largest studios in France. Moreover, Base aérienne 217 Brétigny-sur-Orge, aka Brétigny-sur-Orge Air Base, served as a pivotal production location for the French movie.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Several important scenes of ‘Astérix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom’ were taped in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the southeast-central part of France. For instance, to record the battle scenes, the filming unit set up camp in Plateau du Guéry in the department of Puy-de-Dôme. In addition, various picturesque scenes are shot around the Puy de Sancy and the commune of Murat-le-Quaire.
Morocco
For shooting purposes, the director and his team also traveled to Morocco in Northwestern Africa. The country’s vast and diverse landscape makes it a suitable filming site for a movie like ‘Astérix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom.’ Over the years, Morocco’s locales have also been featured in numerous other film projects, including ‘The Way,’ ‘The Dictator,’ ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ ‘Time Bandits,’ and ‘Men in Black: International.’
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