Did you spot this nod to the film The Visitors in Cocorico, we don’t choose our ancestors?

Canal+ broadcast this Friday, September 27, 2024, at 9:10 p.m., Cocorico, we don’t choose our ancestors. In this comedy bringing together Christian Clavier and Didier Bourdon, Julien Hervé, the director, slipped in a funny reference to the cult film Visitors.

After Le Doudou, released in 2017 headlined by the duo consisting of Kad Merad and Malik Bentalha, screenwriter and director Julien Hervé devoted himself to a second feature film bringing together two other stars of French comedy. Indeed, Cocorico, we don’t choose our ancestors, broadcast this Friday, September 27, 2024, at 9:10 p.m., on Canal+follows the adventures of Frédéric Bouvier-Sauvage and Gérard Martin, played respectively by Christian Clavier and Didier Bourdon. In this film, the two men, one from a rich and ancient family, the other a simple car dealer, are distraught when they learn the results of their DNA test.

This nod to the film Visitors

In Cocorico, we don’t choose our ancestorsFrédéric Bouvier-Sauvage is very proud of his origins. He mentions several times the name of one of his ancestors, Louis VI Le Gros. This genealogical detail is not simply a historical reference to the French king who reigned for part of the 11th century, it is also a cinematic reference. Indeed, Julien Hervé wanted to make a nod to the feature film THE Visitorsanother film from Christian Clavier’s repertoire in which the actor plays the iconic Jacquouille la Fripouille. In this cult comedy by Jean-Marie Poiré, released in 1993, the role of Louis VI the Fat is run by Didier Pain. He decides to grant the Count of Montmirail, played by Jean Reno, the hand of Frénégonde, played by Valérie Lemercier.

The reunion of Christian Clavier and Didier Bourdon

One was part of the troop of Splendid while the other started within the famous comic trio of Unknown. These two stars are essential figures of French comedy, however, we will have to wait for the release of Cocorico, we don’t choose our ancestors to see them appearing in the same film. However, the two actors had indeed collaborated in the past… Not on a film set, but on the stages of the Porte Saint-Martin theater. The two friends then reconstituted the legendary couple of Jean Poiret and Michel Serrault in the famous play adapted into a film: The Crazy Cage. During this play, this time directed by Didier Caron, Christian Clavier and Didier Bourdon play together. A collaboration that made the interpreter of Jérôme in Les Bronzés a little nostalgic. In the press kit of Cocorico, we don’t choose our ancestorsthe actor explains: “We put on a very, very good show with ‘La Cage aux Folles’: I recently saw extracts from the play again and I think it was extremely successful. We have both played 300 times… So when I was offered to shoot this film with Didier, I said to myself that there was an opportunity to create one of those good tandems that we love see in the cinema…”