Ten things to know about Welcome to the Sticks

Dany Boon's hit comedy returns to TV this Sunday evening on TF1.

Who would have thought that a film about the Hauts de France (e.g. Nord-Pas-de-Calais) would become the biggest success in the history of cinema in France? When in 2008, Welcome to the Ch'tis is released in theaters, the craze is so strong that the film Dany Boon breaks all records, including that of the most watched film in France. On the occasion of the rebroadcast of the comedy with Kad Merad and Michel Galabru Sunday evening on TF1, we test your knowledge of Maroilles and fricadelles.

1. The film of all records?

With 20.4 million admissions, Ch'timi surpasses another cult comedy : The big mop (1966) by Gerard Ourywhich had gathered 17,267,607 spectators. It has since been relegated to 3rd place in the biggest French successes with the success ofUntouchables, by Olivier Nakache And Eric Toledanowhich brought together 19,490,688 curious people in 2011.

If it does not exceed 21.7 million spectators, Titanicwhich has been at the top of the French box office since 1998, the comedy by Dany Boon nevertheless beats the film of James Cameron at the box office and in DVD sales. The film was also broadcast 4 times on TV, once on Canal + and three times on TF1. And it was a hit each time.

With a budget of only 11 million euros, The Ch'tis raised a total of 245 million euros. It allowed Dany Boon to become the highest paid actor in France since he received nearly 26 million euros for having played, directed and produced the film. Unprecedented in Europe. Today Dany Boon is the second highest paid French director and is in fourth place in the ranking of personalities preferred by the French.

Aware of the success, the director insisted that all profits from the film's derivative products be donated to the foundation. Ch'ti Funds which distributed more than 200,000 euros over 5 years to social and humanitarian associations in the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region.

2. Kad Merad was not Dany Boon's first choice

It is at Daniel Auteil that Dany Boon thought about playing Philippe Abrams, but he was not available. He then fell back on Jose Garcia to finally choose Kad Merad. The production (Pathé) proposed the actor who at the time was not as famous as he is today. The person concerned remembers that his relations with the director were not always on the best of terms: “Dany knew exactly what he wanted. And he was bugging me to get it.”

3. Michel Galabru received a very juicy fee

If this film has become a cult classic, it is thanks in particular to one man: Michel Galabru. But it was not a given for the director to have the actor on his set, since the actor was not satisfied with his small role. “I told Dany Boon that I was not interested in playing for a day, he said in 2015. They called me again. Boon insisted and doubled my fee. They gave me a good salary, very interesting and they came up with this stupid line.”.

This is how the film will have its famous line. “It's the Noooord”.

4. The actors gave their all

As a reminder, Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad) is the director of a postal agency. During the filming of the sequences of another cult scene of the film, that of the postman's round, Dany Boon And Kad Merad did not really need to act out their blood alcohol levels. The two men were genuinely drunk, and must have really relieved themselves in the Colme canal, which has become a must-see place in Bergues.

5. Bergues has become a tourist town

10 years later, the “Ch'ti mania” is still raging. Mainly filmed in Bergues, the town still welcomes a few tourists each year who come to discover the filming locations. Although there is not much left of the film in the town, many visitors come to Bergues to visit the belfry, which must be restored to accommodate the many curious people. With 2,000 visitors until 2008, the carillon has been stormed since then. Until 2010, it welcomed more than 35,000 people per year. Today, 10,000 crowd into the building, which is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

6. All of Dany Boon’s films are released in February

For 10 years, the northerner has been reproducing exactly the same marketing scheme before the release of a new film. And it's clearly paying off. Previews throughout France, early release in the North (about two weeks before the national date), omnipresence in the media and programming during the winter holidays: Dany Boon seems to have found the magic recipe for his films to work. The proof is in figures, since Nothing to declare had 8.1 million admissions in 2010, Superchondriac brought together 5.2 curious people in the dark rooms in 2014, and Crazy Raid 4.5 million people last year. History is likely to repeat itself once again with The Ch'tite family which comes out in theaters tomorrow.

7. Maroilles sales have exploded

“Chest less strong in the goat than the smell.”

Famous for being one of the most fragrant cheeses in the region, Maroilles was also a victim of the success of the film released in 2008. Artisan cheesemakers noticed a 20 to 30% increase in sales, providing a living for more than 2,000 people in the region.

8. Dany Boon said “no” to Will Smith

Welcome to the Ch'tis was also very successful internationally, particularly in Europe, in Germany (2.4 million admissions) and in Belgium (1.1 million). A remake of the film was also produced in Italy. Entitled Welcome to the South (Welcome to the South), the film tells the story of a Milanese man who leaves the north of Italy after being transferred to the south. It should also be noted that the feature film was exported across the Atlantic but without success. Welcome to the Sticks could have been the title of the American remake, but it was never filmed. Because, after meeting Will Smith and producers from Warner Bros. to validate this project, Dany refused three scripts one after the other. At the beginning of 2015, he officially announced that The US Ch'tis had fallen into the water.

9. The film is the origin of a new award at the Césars

In 2009, Dany Boon was disappointed to see only one nomination for his film at the Césars (best screenplay). He was even more disappointed when he left empty-handed, beaten by Marc Abdelnour and Martin Provost for Séraphine. He had also expressed his dissatisfaction : “You only have to look at this year, there are only two nominations for comedies, out of 100 nominations. I don't find that normal and I say that I have no place in an evening that boycotts comedies.”

Shortly after that, Alain Terzianpresident of the Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques, which organizes the Césars, informed him of the possible creation of an award for mainstream comedies. Following this, Dany Boon swallows his pride, well almost. When in 2010 the actor goes on stage to present the César for best first film. Dressed in jogging bottoms, he adds fuel to the fire by declaring : “We must also know how to recognize success, the plebiscite. We make cinema for the public. Too bad: it's the celebration of cinema and we're not there.”

He finally won his case in 2018, when for the first time, the Audience César was awarded to a French film. This prize, which rewards the feature film that had the most admissions during the year, was given to Crazy Raidof Dany Boonsince it recorded more than 4.6 million admissions. “Everything comes to those who wait.”. Note that this reward has since been removed: after being given to the team of Tuche 3in 2019, its rules were changed so that voters could vote for their favorite film among the five biggest hits of the year. It was then Les Misérablesby Ladj Ly, who won in 2020, but the award was not renewed in 2021.

10. The North to make you laugh

Dany Boon understood it well: to make people laugh, nothing beats self-mockery. After the immense success of Welcome to the Ch'tis, In 2008, the director-actor returned in 2018 with a new story of Ch'tis, in The Ch'tite family. Once again Dany Boon is committed to making life difficult for clichés, in a crazy comedy where he talks about what he knows best: his native region. Making people laugh with kindness, that is undoubtedly the key to the success of Dany Boon.

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