03/12/2002

French actor, Christian Clavier (Les Visiteurs, Napoléon) decided against starring in Jean-Jacques Annaud’s latest film, Deux Frères (Two Brothers).
Clavier was to have played a French ambassador. He has been replaced by Jean-Claude Dreyfus. Clavier refused to comment on the reasons behind this decision although French daily newspaper, “Le Parisien” speculated that the actor was not overly eager to spend six months on location in Cambogia and Thailand, starting in January 2003, in a film starring a couple of tigers.
However Clavier’s decision may also be linked to the recent announcement of a third Asterix and Obelix film entitled Asterix in Spain. The film will be directed by Gérard Jugnot and should reunite Clavier with his co-star in the previous two films, Gérard Depardieu. To date, neither actor has commented the news.

(Translated from French)