Pathé releases Sur la piste du Marsupilami in 800 cinemas

by Fabien Lemercier

04/04/2012 - In France’s fairly small group of talented and demanding comedy directors, producers, and actors, Alain Chabat holds a prime position, notably thanks to the popular originality of Asterix and Obelix Meet Cleopatra (2002) and I Do [trailer] (2006). His fourth feature film, French-Belgian co-production Sur la piste du Marsupilami [trailer] (lit. “On the trail of the Marsupilami), is no exception. Today Pathé Distribution released the film for which he co-wrote the screenplay, acted beside Jamel Debbouze, and was producer via Chez Wam in 800 cinemas, and it looks likely to do very well in the box office.

"I wanted those who didn’t know Marsupilami to fall under his charm, but also to keep Franquin’s hardcore fans satisfied," said Alain Chabat.

To adapt the comic book series about the endearing, bouncy, almost-impossible-to-harm animal of the Palombian jungle, Alain Chabat, after several years of looking for the right angle, settled on a "buddy movie" that "takes two guys who having nothing in common on extraordinary adventures": a journalist looking for a scoop (Chabat) and a local fixer who verges on being a crook (Debbouze). It’s a well-accompanied duo, with the rest of the cast including Fred Testot, Lambert Wilson, and Géraldine Nakache, in a film on two levels, with both hilarious absurd humour for adults and classic family entertainment for children, that has even won over the critics.

Also out in cinemas is a French wave of films with Coming Home [trailer] by promising French director Frédéric Videau (in competition at the last Berlinale – read the review – Pyramide on 59 copies), the socially-committed Low Life by Nicolas Klotz, Elisabeth Perceval (in competition in Locarno - review - Les Films du Losange on 21 copies), the humanist Le Fils de l'autre [trailer] by Lorraine Lévy (article - Haut et Court on 155 copies), thriller Aux yeux de tous [trailer] by Cédric Jimenez (article - Distrib Films on 70 copies), Réussir sa vie by Benoît Forgeard (Shellac on five copies), and documentary La Nuit Nomade by Marianne Chaud (ZED).

European productions are in cinemas with the impressive Stopped On Track [trailer] by the German Andreas Dresen (Certain Regard Award at Cannes 2011 - review – Sophie Dulac Distribution on about 30 copies), [REC]3 Génesis [trailer] by the Spaniard Paco Plaza (news - Le Pacte & Wild Side Films on 233 copies) and American-British co-production My Week with Marilyn [trailer] by Simon Curtis (two Oscar nominations for Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh – StudioCanal in 232 cinemas).

(Translated from French)