Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra arrives tonight on Netflix. The film joins the platform's catalog, while The Battle of the Chiefs is about to relaunch the adventures of the little mustachioed man, the integration of one of the most cult films in French cinema promises to offer some great evenings of television. However, the film almost never saw the light of day. The fault of a complicated shoot, and not exactly optimal conditions.
The scene where everything changed
On February 7, 2001, the team of Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra was preparing to shoot one of the most spectacular scenes in the film: the discovery of the pyramid construction site by Numerobis, mobilizing 2,000 extras from all over the Ouarzazate region. The day was crucial: in addition to being the most expensive of the shoot, it also represented a real logistical challenge. As rehearsals begin under the Moroccan sun, the wind suddenly picks up. Within minutes, the sky disappears behind a cloud of sand. The 2,000 extras try to... take shelter, while the technicians try to save cameras and equipment from the ravages of the weather.
The storm lasts nearly eight hours, forcing the team to surrender. Impossible to film, impossible even to stay outside. For the crew, it's a cold shower: everything has to be put away, the equipment protected, and, above all, the extras have to be dispersed to the surrounding villages. The most expensive day of filming is lost. It's impossible to postpone until the next day: it will take more than a month to contact each extra, get them to sign a new waiver, and organize buses to bring them back to the set. A titanic logistical puzzle, which could have meant the project's death knell if production hadn't held firm.
One month delay
The sandstorm wasn't the only obstacle the team had to face on the set of Mission Cleopatra. The ambient heat, flirting with 55°C under the spotlights and sets. Despite these extreme conditions, the construction site scene was finally replayed, in milder weather. The sequence is monumental, and becomes one of the most emblematic passages of the film.
The fact remains that if the storm had lasted longer, if the production had not managed to recall the extras, or if the budget had exploded because of the delays imposed by the weather conditions, Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra might never have seen the light of day.
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