“Quite lamentable, this story”: in the fifth element, Bruce Willis does not have his usual French voice, and here is why

Released in May 1997 in France, the fifth element quickly established itself as a classic science fiction. Directed by Luc Besson, the film gathered 7.6 million spectators in France. He has also hit the world, reporting the modest sum of $ 263 million in revenue.

Carried by Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich, the story takes us to the 23rd century, in a strange and colorful universe, where all hope of survival is impossible without the discovery of the fifth element. A hero, Korben Dallas, faces evil to save humanity.

The latter is of course embodied by Bruce Willis, who found there one of his most memorable roles. At the time, the actor fans were disconcerted by a detail, and not the least, about him.

The detail that bell

Indeed, Bruce Willis is not doubled in French by his usual VF, the actor Patrick Poivey and his inimitable stamp. Disappeared in 2020, the actor lent his voice to Bruce Willis in 77 films, from 1988 to 2020.

But then why did Patrick Poiey interpreted vocally the character of Korben Dallas in the fifth element, one of the most striking works by Bruce Willis? Rumors have long ran on the involvement of Luc Besson, who would have demanded a change of actor, wishing a more serious tone.

The answer is Patrick POIVEY himself who gives it. In an interview granted in 2002 to Olivier Barbery and published in the Synchro magazine In 2021, the actor had raised the subject with franchise.

Beastica

Patrick Poivey's response

“The decision has nothing to do with Luc Besson. Besson was very busy on the mixing of the film for the presentation at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. I think I know that he finished mixing it the day before the screening and that the copy 0 was released in the preceding night”said Patrick Poivey.

“Very busy, he could not take care of dubbing and it is someone whose name I will have the name that set small personal accounts with me by making the noise run that I asked very dear. Which is rigorously false”continued the actor.

It is someone whose name I will have the name that set small personal accounts with me by making the noise run that I asked very dear. Which is rigorously false.

“He also put Gaumont in the panade because they themselves did not know that it was not I who had doubled it. They indeed called me one day to ask me to make the trailers for the radio. Quite lamentable this story”concluded Patrick Poivey.

In the fifth element, it was actor Bernard Métraux, usual VF of Bill Murray, who doubled Bruce Willis. He will lend her his voice again in a life for two in 1999.