From "Asterix" to "The Captive," no less than 13 French films are currently showing on movie screens in Italy.
After preview screenings throughout the summer, "Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra" has broken the 500,000 spectators barrier after 15 days in theaters, and is holding firm against competition from "Minority Report."
The surprise of the fall season comes from the "The Big Blue," released as a national premiere, having never before been shown on Italian screens. 14 years after its initial release, the film by Luc Besson has been distributed in 70 theaters.
The same week (September 27) also saw the release of "He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not" and "Laissez-passer," while "Le Petit Poucet" ("Tom Thumb") and "Wasabi" pursue their Italian careers.
In the lead-up to the eagerly awaited release of "8 Women" on October 18, and of "L'Homme du Train" ("The Man on the Train") on November 15, French films are sitting pretty in Italy, with 2.4 million spectators registered over the first 6 months of 2002.
