Arthur and the Invisibles or Arthur and the Minimoys (French: Arthur et les Minimoys) is a 2006 English-language French fantasy adventure comedy animated/live-action film directed and co-written by French filmmaker Luc Besson. It is based on the first two books of the Arthur children's books series, Arthur and the Minimoys and Arthur and the Forbidden City, by Besson.
Arthur and the Invisibles was released theatrically in France on 29 November 2006 by EuropaCorp, followed by wide releases in a number of countries. It was re-released in France on 4 April 2007 with nineteen minutes of bonus footage. With a budget of €60 million, it was briefly the most expensive French film production, until it was surpassed by Astérix at the Olympic Games (2008).
It received positive reviews from critics in France but was received negatively in the United States, with criticism aimed at the animation and script, but praises for the voice performances and visual aspects. The film was also a box-office success in France but under-performed in the United States. The film's success in France spawned a media franchise with two sequels, Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard (2009) and Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds (2010), and a spin-off, Arthur Malediction (2022). It also spawned multiples video games, an animated television series and theme park attractions at Futuroscope and Europa-Park.
It received the Imagina Award in the category Prix du Long-Métrage. Its soundtrack album was released on 9 January 2007.
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Background[]
After a screening test in the United States, The Weinstein Company re-edited the film. Approximately nine minutes were cut. The original runtime was 103 minutes, the Weinstien Company version is 91 minutes. Most of the edits pertained to the love story between Arthur and Selenia (due to age differences). In addition, The Weinstein Company's version also adds in new narration by David Suchet replacing Ron Crawford's narration as Archibald, along with actors Jimmy Fallon, Emilio Estevez, Harvey Keitel, Rob Corddry, Nate Corddry, Erik Per Sullivan, Anthony Anderson and Jason Bateman replacing various actors from the original version.
Cast[]
| Image | Character | Original Actor | Redub Actor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Montgomery | Freddie Highmore | ||
| Princess Selenia | Madonna | ||
| Archibald Suchot | Ron Crawford | ||
| Daisy Suchot | Mia Farrow | ||
| Betameche | Doug Rand | Jimmy Fallon | |
| Emperor Sifrat XVI | Robert De Niro | ||
| Max | Snoop Dogg | ||
| DJ Easy Low | Allen Hoist | ||
| Ernest Davido | Adam LeFevre | ||
| Rose Suchot-Montgomery | Penny Balfour | ||
| Armand Montgomery | Robert Dauney | ||
| Emperor Maltazard | David Bowie | ||
| Prince Darkos | Christian Erickson | Jason Bateman | |
| Miro | Doug Rand | Harvey Keitel | |
| Mino | Barbara Weber-Scaff | Erik Per Sullivan | |
| Koolamassai | Allen Hoist | Anthony Anderson | |
| Ferryman | Tonio Descanvelle | Emilio Estevez | |
| Travel Agent | Chazz Palminteri | ||
| Seides | ¿? | Rob Corddry Nate Corddry | |
| Baby Bug | ¿? | Erik Per Sullivan | |
| Chief of the Matassalai | Jean Betote Njamba | ||
| Narrator | Ron Crawford | David Suchet | |
Notes[]
- Director Luc Besson was unhappy with the edits and blamed The Weinstein Company's tampering for the film's failure in the United States.
- After Lionsgate acquired a good portion of The Weinstein Company's film library in 2021, the original cut of the film was made available for streaming and on the television network Starz.
- Doug Rand also portrays Arthur's father, however for unknown reasons his voice is dubbed over by Robert Dauney in both versions.
Video Releases[]
| Distributor | Year | Format | Region | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Weinstein Company | 2007 | 
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1 NTSC |
United States | 
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| Momentum Pictures | 2 PAL |
United Kingdom | 
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| Roadshow Entertainment | 4 PAL |
Australia | 
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See Also[]
External Links[]
- Arthur and the Invisibles at the Internet Movie Database