The Gauls Go Global: Inside Director Fabrice Joubert’s Vision for Netflix’s “Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight”

It was in 1959 that Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo published their first comic strip about a village of Gauls resisting occupation by the Roman Empire.

In the nearly 70 years since, Asterix & Obelix have placated the Romans and conquered the entire world. It has become one of France’s most successful franchises, leading to 40 volumes of comics, 10 animated films, 5 live-action movies, games, merchandise, and a theme park.

Now, they return to Netflix’s screen with a 6-episode limited series, Asterix & Obelix – The Big Fight, an adaptation of one of the original comic books by the French pair. France and Belgium boast a rich tradition of comics and animation, having given rise to the influential bande dessinée style that has shaped generations of artists. The country is also home to one of the world’s premier animation festivals in Annecy, underscoring its status as a global hub for the art form. Fabrice Joubert, co-director of the new series, is a prime example of this creative legacy.

“I had the opportunity to study at the Gobelins school in Paris, which was one of the first to offer a program in animation. They created the degree thanks to Goscinny, who was making one of his feature film adaptations in Paris, and asked them to launch an animation department to support the production. So, in a way, I ended up working in animation partly thanks to Goscinny. The circle has come full,” he told The Credits at a special screening of the series in Brussels.

Joubert started out as an animator, bringing characters to life in productions such as Despicable Me and The Prince of Egypt. His first short film as a director, French Roast, was nominated for an Oscar in 2010. His illustrious career led him to the opportunity of co-directing the latest Asterix adventures with Alain Chabat, who wrote and directed the live-action film Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.

“These characters are such an integral part of popular culture, we felt a real sense of responsibility towards them and their universe,” he says. Read more below about how this latest instalment of the world’s most famous Gauls came to life.

How was your experience co-leading such a big production team? Can you describe a typical day at work?

Over nearly three years of production, over 300 people were involved. Alain and his co-writers, Benoît Oullion and Piano, began writing five years ago, so it’s been a long journey.

Animation is a notoriously complex and detailed process, right?

Animation is a slow and complex process. It works like a production chain, where each department depends on the one before it, so having a shared vision is key. My collaboration with Alain was very smooth and full of creative energy. We worked closely together throughout the entire production, from the animatic stage (which is the storyboard edited with temporary sound and voice) to the actual design and creation process.

The characters and sets were developed in collaboration with our art director, Aurélien Predal, before moving into production with the TAT studio teams in Toulouse (France). Everyone involved worked toward a common goal: bringing Alain’s vision to life while remaining as respectful as possible of the original work by Goscinny and Uderzo.

What led you to choose to animate using CGI?

We quickly decided to go with CGI, partly for practical reasons, but also because it had already been used successfully in the two previous Astérix films by Alexandre Astier and Louis Clichy. It felt natural to continue in that direction. Initially, Alain considered stop motion because of the tactile quality it brings, and that definitely influenced the look and feel of the series. Working closely with our art director, Aurélien Predal, we focused on adding rich textures to the characters and environments. We wanted everything to feel tangible, almost handcrafted. We were looking for a balance between realistic elements and preserving the iconic graphic style of Uderzo’s illustrations. We were very committed to staying true to his visual legacy, so the challenge was finding just the right mix of stylization and realism. And I think we succeeded.

How did you manage to retell their adventures for 2025 audiences while keeping the original essence of the comic books?

These characters are such an integral part of popular culture that we felt a real sense of responsibility towards them and their universe. At the same time, what made the project so exciting was the opportunity to inject a touch of modernity and relevance for today’s audience. We really wanted to honor the comic books, so we allowed ourselves some visual experimentation — for example, integrating onomatopoeias directly into the animation. Uderzo used to sometimes strip away the background and leave just a flat color for effect. We decided to reintroduce that in certain sequences where it felt appropriate.

We selected songs that could bring a contemporary feel while still serving the story. It was fascinating to mix modern music with a more traditional score. We recorded the music in London with the London Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Mathieu Alvado, and the result is an epic, absolutely fabulous soundtrack that really gives the series a powerful energy.

And why did you choose to adapt The Big Fight, specifically?

The choice to adapt The Big Fight came from Alain. It’s a volume that’s especially close to his heart, and honestly, it’s one of the best in the series. For the first time, the Gauls are left without their superhuman strength, and they have to face a fight where they could lose everything. That narrative setup created the perfect dramatic stakes for a series. It gave us the kind of tension and momentum that really holds a modern audience’s attention. On top of that, we were able to expand on the story and add new characters. The series format gave us space to explore the characters in greater depth — especially the friendship between Astérix and Obélix, which was something we really wanted to highlight.

How was the collaboration with  Netflix?

Working with Netflix felt like a natural choice. It also gave us the opportunity to reach an extraordinary global audience. Having that reach pushed us to achieve the highest possible quality — to create the best series we could, both technically and artistically, because we knew we were speaking to viewers all over the world. It was truly an incredible opportunity, and they backed our vision from the beginning.

Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight is streaming on Netflix now.

Featured image: Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight. 2025 Les éditions Albert René / Goscinny – Uderzo / NETFLIX