ZE DOUBLEUR

This one couldn't go unnoticed by your humble servant, former deputy editor of La Gazette du doublage - the most important website on French-speaking dubbing (http://www.objectif-cinema.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=0168). According to Variety (1) French comedian Alain Chabat (Napoleon in Night at the Museum 2) is to star in a Focus Features comedy called The Dubber.

In this movie, Chabat plays a man who provides the French dubbing voice of a top Hollywood star. When the A-lister goes missing, Chabat's character flies to the US to help find him. Versatile and talented actor/director Chabat is a huge star in France since his television days amongst the comedy team of Les Nuls -the French equivalent of Brit The Comic Strip or American SNL. His masterpiece as a director, Asterix & Obelix Mission Cleopatra (2002) can be compared to the work of Mel Brooks or to the ZAZ movies.

What is already fun with The Dubber is its title, which can be translated in French by "Le doubleur". Most of French dubbing artists are stage, cinema or television actors and they supremely hate to be called "doubleurs" ("dubbers"). In France each time you call a dubbing artist a "dubber" he will answer angrily: « Je ne suis pas doubleur je suis comédien! » Actually in France a "dubber" is the dubbing company but curiously Belgian or Quebecer dubbing artists don't mind to be called "doubleurs" and the term is used by many dubbing aficionados to qualify dubbing actors.

Alain Chabat is no stranger to dubbing as he's the French voice of Shrek. Curiously, the first voice of the green giant was not Chabat but Emmanuel Curtil, who usually dubs Mike Myers and who recorded the first Shrek before The Powers that be required a "Star talent", i.e. Alain Chabat - who can be heard in the movie.

We can suppose that the dubbing studio facilities of Dubbing Brothers, worldwide leader in the dubbing industry, will be used for the part of The Dubber shot in France.

(1) http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005216.html?categoryId=13&cs=1