Can Asterix Save French B.o.? Can Asterix Save French B.o.? / Hopes High That Comic Characters Will Score With Audiences

A tale of Gallic resistance to foreign domination is serving as the backdrop for the French movie industry's bid to challenge the might of Hollywood.

"Asterix and Obelix against Julius Caesar," a live-action film based on the comic book character who defiantly battled Roman invaders, is poised to hit 800 screens nationwide in France on Wednesday, overshadowing the 690 prints of "The Prince of Egypt," last year's most widely distributed film.

Budgeted at 274 million francs ($49 million), it is the most expensive French-language movie ever made. Financing came from France, Germany and Italy, with Pathe putting up the biggest share via its production, distribution and video subsidiaries.

Created by comic-strip artist Alberto Uderzo and writer Rene Goscinny in 1959, Asterix books have been translated into 57 languages and have sold some 280 million copies worldwide, making it one of France's most successful cultural exports.

The first live-action film version stars some of France's hottest talent, with Christian Clavier ("The Visitors") as the indomitable little Gaul, Gerard Depardieu as his rotund sidekick Obelix, and Laetitia Casta as Falbala.

Roberto Benigni's ("Life Is Beautiful") presence as a hapless Roman legionary provides an international dimension.

Besides its star cast, "Asterix" relies on a spectacular array of special effects, with some 250 sequences, another record for a French film.

Only French critics have so far been allowed a peek at the film, and most agree that director Claude Zidi has done a good job capturing the visual look of the comic books.

Much is riding on the boxoffice success of "Asterix." The French industry depends increasingly on one or two big hits a year to buoy up overall admission figures.

In 1997, Luc Besson's "The Fifth Element" almost single--handedly saved the overall boxoffice for French-made movies. But "Element" was an English-language film with a major U.S. star, Bruce Willis.

The absence of a major triumph last year was reflected in year-end statistics.

Despite movie attendance reaching its highest level last year since 1985, with 170 million admissions, French movies took their lowest audience share ever with just 26%. Only three French comedies attracted more than 6 million admissions, and the large majority of local features -- even those starring big names such as Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche -- sank without a trace.

A film needs to break 5 million in admissions in France to recoup its production costs, but it's tough to achieve. Only four films passed that threshold last year.

"Asterix" is expected to open to packed houses. Billboards have been plastered with Asterix posters for weeks, and the French media have gone Asterix-crazy in the run-up to the release.

Distributor AMLF would not disclose the promotional budget, but it is reported to be around 20 million francs ($3.6 million).

Pathe subsidiary Renn Prods. has invested in a range of Asterix merchandise, and several promotional deals have been struck with French products from cheese to autos. The soundtrack by Jean-Jacques Goldman will be released by Sony.

The film comes out in March in Germany and is set for Italian release in the fall.

AMLF president Jacques-Eric Strauss said he had set a target of $25 million-$30 million for the foreign market outside France. Rights have also been sold for Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The film's producer Claude Berri said distribution deals for the rest of the world would be thrashed out over the next few months,notably at Cannes.

So far, no release date has been set for the United States, and AMLF is tight-lipped about who might distribute the film in North America.

A subtitled version of the film will be screened to foreign buyers in late-February at the American Film Market in Santa Monica.

Can Asterix succeed where American comic books heroes such as Batman and Superman have triumphed?

"I like the idea of turning comic characters into real people," Depardieu told Le Figaro newspaper. "We have nothing to be worried about going into this area, onto American turf. This is a film about resistance, a film about our culture."