Asterix and Obelix movies: All animated films and live-action adaptations of the cult Gauls

The universe of Asterix and Obelix, the intrepid Gauls, has been an integral part of pop culture for many decades. With wit, wisdom and a magic potion that gives them superhuman powers, the duo continue to fight new battles to this day. They have also frequently conquered the big screen and regularly thrilled fans around the world with their adventures. We reveal the chronology of the Asterix and Obelix movies and have picked out further interesting details.

Created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, these iconic characters are not only causing a sensation in the comics. Knowing the order of the Asterix and Obelix films is a must for any lover of comic series. Beginning with “Asterix the Gaul” in 1967, the foundations were laid for a film series that continues to this day and includes both animated masterpieces and live-action films. The essence of the comics has often been underpinned with a humorous look at historical events and personalities, spiced up with timeless jokes and a pinch of satire.

While the animated films faithfully follow the adventures that Goscinny and Uderzo put down on paper, the live-action films, starting with “Asterix & Obelix take on Caesar” in 1999, offer a fresh perspective on the popular stories. These adaptations have retained the spirit of the characters while presenting new narratives and perspectives of the Gallic world.

Through the depiction of epic battles, the exploration of new lands or encounters with historical figures such as Julius Caesar, each of the films has its own unique charm. The films are not only a tribute to the Gallic culture and its myths, but also a reflection of social themes such as friendship, courage and the eternal struggle against oppression.

Understanding how the films fit in chronologically and thematically offers an interesting insight into the development of the characters and their stories. The order of the Asterix and Obelix films is more than just a simple list and is in fact an invitation to immerse yourself in a world that offers contemporary entertainment despite its historical setting.

Asterix and Obelix movies by release date

• 1967: “Asterix the Gaul” (cartoon)
• 1968: “Asterix and Cleopatra” (cartoon)
• 1976: “The Twelve Tasks of Asterix” (cartoon)
• 1985: “Asterix versus Caesar” (cartoon)
• 1986: “Asterix in Britain” (cartoon)
• 1989: “Operation Getafix” (cartoon)
• 1994: “Asterix conquers America” (cartoon)
• 1999: “Asterix & Obelix take on Caesar” (live-action)
• 2002: “Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” (live-action)
• 2006: “Asterix and the Vikings” (animated cartoon)
• 2008: “Asterix at the Olympic Games” (live-action)
• 2012: “Asterix & Obelix: God Save Britannia” (live-action)
• 2014: “Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods” (animation)
• 2018: “Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion” (animation)
• 2023: “Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom” (live-action)

Chronological order of all films

As some of the film adaptations are based on the content of several comic originals, the chronological order differs greatly from the sorting according to the actual release date and then looks as follows:

• “Asterix the Gaul” (1967)
• “Asterix versus Caesar” (1985)
• “Asterix and Cleopatra” (1968)
• “Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” (2002)
• “Asterix & Obelix take on Caesar” (1999)
• “Operation Getafix” (1989)
• “Asterix in Britain” (1986)
• “Asterix and the Vikings” (2006)
• “Asterix & Obelix: God Save Britannia” (2012)
• “Asterix at the Olympic Games” (2008)
• “Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods” (2014)
• “Asterix conquers America” (1994)
• “The Twelve Tasks of Asterix” (1976)
• “Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion” (2018)

Note: The live-action adaptation “Asterix & Obelix in the Middle Kingdom” is not officially part of the series canon and is therefore not included in the chronology.

All Asterix volumes with original title

Please note: The official Asterix portal offers you even more information about the comics and other topics.

Exciting facts about Asterix and Obelix

• “Asterix the Gaul” was the first comic to be made into a movie in 1967.
• In addition to cartoons and animated productions, the series also includes several live-action films.
• Some of the films were initially produced in French and then translated into other languages.
• “The Twelve Tasks of Asterix” and “Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion” are the only films that are not directly based on a comic book. However, the former was subsequently given a drawn version in 1977.
• Asterix was originally part of the French youth magazine “Pilote“. It first appeared there in 1959.
• the first comic book was published in 1961 with a print run of 6000 copies.
• The first French satellite in space bears the name Asterix and is still orbiting the earth today as an inactive satellite.
• The typical -ix endings were added to the character names in reference to the Arveran chieftain Vercingetorix, under whose leadership Gaul rebelled against Roman rule in 52 BC.
• In the course of the stories, Asterix repeatedly encounters well-known personalities such as James Bond, Laurel and Hardy or the Beatles. In the film “Asterix at the Olympic Games“, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher makes a guest appearance. Zlatan Imbrahimovic plays the Roman warrior Caius Antivirus in “Asterix & Obelix in the Middle Kingdom“.
• Asterix comics are a worldwide success story and, after the Bible and the Harry Potter novels, the best-selling publication and the most successful comic in France. A total of over 380 million copies have been sold to date.
• Obelix initially had green hair for illustrator Uderzo. The reason for this was the creator’s color blindness.
• The characters in the comic were designed very quickly. The creation process for the first issue took just 15 minutes. A total of five characters were worked out in this time.
• In case you’ve always wondered where the Gaulish village is: The Gallic lair of Asterix and Co. is located somewhere on the coast of Aremorica in Bertagne. An area in the north-western part of France.

• The village of the Gauls was never given a proper name. In the comics, however, you can read about the “village of weirdos” or “village of madmen“.
• A monument was dedicated to the author Goscinny. Not in France, however, but on the grounds of a grammar school in Warsaw. His parents were Polish Jews who immigrated after the First World War.
• In Germany, Asterix and Obelix were initially known as Siggi and Babarras and were not Gauls, but Teutons.
• Although Asterix and Obelix kept their names outside France, the names of the secondary characters were adapted.
• Diligent comic readers will probably know some of the ingredients of the magic potion. Miraculix mixes the concoction with fish, lobster, rock oil and mistletoe, among other things, and uses a golden sickle to cut it.
• In addition to translations into numerous languages, 26 publications have also been translated into Latin to date. the 40th volume in the series, “The White Iris“, was published in 2023.
• Since its first publication, each volume begins with the well-known preface: “We are in the year 50 B.C. All of Gaul is occupied by the Romans … All of Gaul? No! A village populated by indomitable Gauls will not stop resisting the invader.”
• The story “The Golden Menhir” is a special volume that was already distributed in 1967 as a book accompanying a record. The special edition, which was quickly sold out at the time, was republished as a revised edition in 2020 to bring it back to the attention of readers.
• The special volume “How Obelix fell into the magic potion as a small child” tells the story of the strong Gaul and what led to his strength.

This is what the cartoons are all about

The leader of a Roman camp named Gaius Bonus wants to unravel the secret of the invincible Gauls. After the druid Miraculix is captured, the camp is finally close to victory. But they have not reckoned with the cleverness of the Gaul Asterix, who, together with his companion Obelix, does everything in his power to free his friend and protect the village.

To prove Julius Caesar wrong, Queen Cleopatra bets that her people are capable of building a magnificent palace in just three months. Under the direction of Alexandria’s best architect and with the help of the druid Miraculix and the two Gauls Asterix and Obelix, the challenge begins. But Caesar does everything he can to sabotage their plans.

To prove their superiority, the two brave Gauls Asterix and Obelix face a series of tricky challenges set by Caesar himself. Our heroes don’t just have to use their strength. Skill and ingenuity also play an important role in mastering all the tasks. Because only then will the Roman statesman admit defeat.

Caesar’s birthday leads to an exciting adventure when our Gallic duo Asterix and Obelix have to travel to the heart of Rome to rescue two kidnapped villagers from the clutches of the Roman general. On their journey, the two come into contact with the Roman army in a hitherto unexpected way and dare to undertake a risky rescue mission.

Caesar’s new conquest targets lead him to Britain, where our commander-in-chief encounters stubborn resistance. The peculiarities of the Britons, such as the tea break and a lull in the fighting at the weekend, are ignored by Roman ignorance. One village, however, puts up relentless resistance. Teefax, an inhabitant of this village, finally has to ask for the support of the Gauls in order to finally defeat the Romans with the help of their magic potion.

There’s a real sense of crisis in our Gaulish village: Druid Miraculix forgets the all-important magic potion formula due to a mishap. On top of that, Liarix makes sure that all the inhabitants leave the village. Only Asterix and Obelix stay behind to prepare for the imminent attack by the Romans and continue to defend the last Gallic bastion to the best of their ability.

Caesar kidnaps the druid Miraculix so that the Gauls can no longer use their indispensable magic potion. Unexpectedly, the scholar’s journey ends somewhat rudely in America and not at the supposed end of the world, as the commander had planned. Asterix and Obelix immediately set off to retrieve their master brewer. This involuntary excursion brings with it a number of difficulties, which our team is promptly confronted with.

An assignment takes Asterix and Obelix to the fearful Gray Vornix. This is exactly where the two battle-hardened heroes are to lend a hand and shape the youngster into a true warrior. Despite all their efforts, they are unsuccessful. The situation worsens when Vikings turn up to kidnap the boy. But the kidnappers underestimate the determination and cunning of the two Gauls.

In order to encircle the indomitable Gauls, Caesar and his advisors devise a plan to surround the Gallic village with a luxury Roman settlement and thus integrate it directly into the empire. But the Gauls, led by their intrepid heroes Asterix and Obelix, find creative ways to effectively sabotage the construction and thus the integration.

Miraculix, the druid of the village, is visibly worried about the future of the village after an accident and makes a surprising decision. A worthy and trustworthy successor is to be found in order to preserve the secret recipe of the magic potion for the next generation. Together with Asterix and Obelix, the scholar sets out to find a young, promising candidate.

Storylines of the live-action adaptations

Asterix and Obelix are faced with a real task when Caesar is captured and an evil governor usurps the power of the empire along with the Gauls’ magic potion. While Obelix is distracted by unexpected feelings of love, the strongman still has to pull himself together to save the village and his friends from impending disaster.

The architect Numerobis is under enormous pressure when Queen Cleopatra demands the construction of a new palace. In his distress, the builder seeks the help of the druid Miraculix. With further support from our two brave Gauls Asterix and Obelix, the group sets off for Egypt with magic potion in their pastries to help with the construction. But resistance quickly arises from all sides.

Our daring friends Asterix and Obelix set off together to faraway Greece to give their friend Alafolix a helping hand at the Olympic Games. But that’s not all. The Gaul also has to win the favor of the attractive Irina. In the process, our trio must prevail against a devious rival who not only wants to dominate the games, but is also pursuing dark plans.

After Julius Caesar’s failure in Gaul, the Roman commander-in-chief turns his attention to Britain. But help for the island is already on its way, as the British Queen asks the Gauls for support. So Asterix, Obelix and Idefix set off, armed with magic potion, to help the friendly kingdom in its fight against the Roman legions.

A Chinese princess flees to the Gallic village and asks Asterix and Obelix for help. Their journey promptly takes our French heroes to China, where the two brave Gauls encounter plenty of challenges, while Julius Caesar pursues his own plans. Cleopatra also finds out that the best warriors from Gaul are involved elsewhere and enters the scene in a surprising way.

Are you already an absolute Asterix and Obelix connoisseur or are you looking for other interesting film series? Then take a look at our magazine article on the Harry Potter series.