Cars have appeared in movies from time immemorial and often appear in collaboration with film productions. A notable example of this is when GM partners with Transformers movie franchise. In the film, GM’s vehicle is the preferred model Autobots and Decepticonsturned the film into a blockbuster commercial for the American automaker.
Citroën took similar steps but in a slightly different way. In collaboration with Pathé, Trésor Films, and Albert René Editions, the French marque has designed and developed a concept train for the upcoming film “Astérix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom.”
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“Astérix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom” will be the latest film adaptation of Asterix, the French comic book series created in 1959 by French screenwriter René Goscinny and French cartoonist Albert Uderzo in French newspapers. Pilot. Currently, the Asterix saga consists of 15 films and cartoons, with more than 25 million viewers in France and more than 70 million worldwide.
The collaboration between Citroën and the film’s production house is a meeting between two legends of French culture. The iconic Citroën 2CV has been part of the country’s cultural heritage since the 40s. It also inspired the design of the concept train designed by Citroën.
The Citroën carriage body is made of solid oak with a roof made of lutece canvas. The wheels are made from repurposed guardrails, while the suspension is handled by a pair of pig guts. Perhaps the coolest part of this concept is the firefly headlights on the roof and boots made of Gaulish steel. Citroën’s new logo has also been stylized with Asterix helmet wings.
The partnership between automakers and film production can also be seen behind the scenes. During the filming of Asterix, Citroën provided the team with an electric fleet of 10 vehicles: three ë-C4, three C5 Aircross PHEV, two ë-Spacetourer, one Ami and one ë-Jumpy.
“Asterix & Obélix: The Middle Kingdom” was originally set to release on February 1, 2023 in French cinemas. A worldwide release will follow soon.
