The tornado swallows the! After its phenomenal cardboard in France, HPI Sold in more than a hundred countries around the world. The Americans have decided to make it a local adaptation, broadcast on ABC and available on Hulu since September 17. This remake arrives in France this Thursday on Disney+. What happens when Hollywood tries to recreate the magic of a French series that is a hit? 20 Minutes saw the pilot (and spoiler Alertit lacks radiance). Explanations.
The ingredients of the French series
The American remake, created by Drew Goddard (Daredevil), take up the ingredients of the French police comedy. “I have never seen this kind of character take us to a police investigation on television,” enthuses Todd Harthan, principal screenwriter of the series. “It reminds me in a way what I liked so much in Dr HouseI had never seen a doctor like that before, it was such a tour de force that it was necessary to look. »»
The Lille Morgane Alvaro, eccentric cleaning lady with an IQ of 160 camped by the irresistible Audrey Fleurot, becomes under the Californian sun Morgan Giriroy, still a single mother of three children, still as brilliant, and always recruited by the police for her abilities extraordinary.
A much bladder morgan
In the American version, Morgan is interpreted by Kaitlin Olson, unforgettable “Sweet Dee” of the sitcom too little known in France, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiaappointed to the Golden Globes twice for his appearances in Hacks.
We love Morgane Alvaro because she is eccentric, disorderly and spontaneous. Faced with the extravagant redhead Morgane Alvaro, the blonde Morgan Giroy appears bland, posed and smooth. We share the criticism of Audrey Fleurot on the set of C to you : “They erased a lot of madness, daring, and that’s what I like in the character, she permanently overflows. »»
If the miniskirts and other leopards are still in order, the outfits of Morgan Giriroy are much wiser than the improbable and outrageous looks (shot on Vinted by Audrey Fleurot for more authenticity) of Morgane Alvaro.
Would misery be less painful under the Californian sun? “It was important to feel that behind this clown, there is a real flaw,” told 20 Minutes Audrey Fleurot during the launch of the series in France. The precarious situation of the cleaning lady (probably the fault of impeccable brushing) and his emotional cracks seem less credible in the Hollywood version.
A Karadec too smiling and tasteless
The success of HPI In France also rests the dynamics between the meticulous Karadec cop and the Morgane bordeel. A duo which is also reminiscent of the Buddy Movies as The fatal weapon.
If Daniel Sunjata, known for his participation in The Devil dresses in Prada and series Grey’s Anatomy et Manifestcamp an American Karadec (yes, they kept its Breton name) as bearded as in the French version, the alchemy between Kaitlin Olson and the latter (which smiles too much) does not work as well as that between Audrey Fleurot and Mehdi Nebbou .
On the side of the secondary characters, only Selena (Judy Reyes), the lieutenant of the unit (the equivalent of Commissioner Céline Hazan, played by Marie Denarnaud) convinced us. It must be said that in this pilot, the others make a tapestry.
An almost modeled scenario
Mimicry of the pilot is striking. Not only is the violence of the crime carefully back, family entertainment obliges, but the French intrigue is also followed almost to the letter.
Similar plans and dialogues, identical twists and turns: the American series goes so far as to use the same soundtrack for the opening sequence, the title Heavy Cross of Gossip or the same playful music when Morgan embarks in one of his tarabiscotated reasoning to advance the investigation. Everything is copied, but less well.
“As we advance in the series, my instinct tells me that there will be more original episodes that will borrow the French series,” promises Todd Harthan. “We want to create our own identity. »»
Even if the Americans do not lack extraordinary investigators (which we think of Monk For example), the “showrunner” praises the possibilities offered by this “totally atypical” and “more sophisticated” soap opera than the traditional police series.
A success across the Atlantic
Unlike France, the concept of HPI remains largely overlooked in the United States. Like the rest of the casting, Kaitlin Olson admits that she was unaware of its existence: “When I was told, I said to myself:” Is it a French thing where we qualify the people of intellectuals with high potential? ””
In the United States, High Potential made a tobacco. “This success once again demonstrates the international dimension of HPInow disseminated in more than 105 territories, ”said TF1. What will he be in France? If you are fans of HPIyou can play the game of seven errors or discover the talented Kaitlin Olson in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiawhose entire seasons are also available on Disney+.
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