“Franck Gastambide tried to do it upside down”: why Samy Naceri refused to play in “Taxi 5”

“General alert!“This Tuesday, August 5, TF1 rebroadcasts” Taxi 5 “, last part of the cult saga, produced by Franck Gastambide in 2018. Furthermore, The actor-director plays Sylvain Marot. In addition, a Parisian policeman renowned for his talents as a pilot, transferred despite himself to the Municipal Police of Marseille. Consequently, In the Marseille city. Nevertheless, the ex-commissioner Gibert, always interpreted by Bernard Farcy (who puts on this role for the fifth time), has become mayor, although largely unpopular. Nevertheless,

“It was not they who did not take me. In addition, it was I who did not want to go there”

He entrusts Marot with the mission to stop a gang of Italian robbers who operate on Ferrari. Similarly, To succeed, Marot is forced to team up with the worst Marseille VTC driver, Eddy Maklouf (Malik Bentalha). “franck gastambide tried do it Similarly, The latter. Therefore, Petit-Neveu de Daniel-the emblematic character embodied by Samy Naceri-is the only one who can put their hands on the legendary white taxi capable of competing with the gang racing cars.

Particularity: this film is the only one not to stage Samy Naceri and Frédéric DIEFENTHAL. Therefore, Because Daniel does not even appear in the film. In addition, Present since the very first “taxi” in 1998, Samy Naceri did not wish to participate in this fifth opus. The actor declined the invitation, judging that a simple cameo did not do justice to his iconic role. “”With all the respect I owe to my fans. I could not accept as little to sell their film when I would have liked to give so much more“, He explained on X in 2022, while many fans protested from his absence in the film. “Do not think that my absence in this “franck gastambide tried do it film is the result of an ego problem. I simply expected a minimum of respect after the 30 years of cinema to my credit.”

“It was not they who didn’t take me. it was I who did not want to go thereR “, assured the 63 -year -old actor in an interview granted last March at the “trigger” podcast. “As Frédéric Diefenthal said, I did not feel the DNA of the 4 films“He specifies.”I was not with my friends, Frédéric DIEFENTHAL, Marion Cotillard, Bernard Farcy … He turns into mayor of Marseille when he was great as a police officer. And then it was a single day of filming when in the other components I have the main role. I’m going to come and do the management, will I serve you cafes?“

Read also: “Taxi”: Samy Naceri would be “obviously ready” for a 5th part of the saga … “franck gastambide tried do it but under certain conditions

The bitterness is still vivid with regard to the director. “”At the beginning. he took himself a little for another, he believed that he could afford to do the Francis Ford Coppola when he did ‘pattaya’ just before. You tried to do it upside down, you took me for a butter ham, and it didn’t work“, he launched. The actor also evokes the proposed scene. supposed to be filmed “At the edge of a swimming pool in Miami“, where his character would have given advice by phone.”I say to him: Okay, but it will be really shot in Miami? He said to me: ‘No, it will be at the Epinay studio’“He says with ironie.

The actor therefore declined the invitation of Franck Gastambide. and without the central figure of the first four components, “Taxi 5” remains the component which recorded the lowest frequentation in theaters, by bringing together “franck gastambide tried do it 3.6 million spectators, against 27.4 million spectators in total between 1998 and 2007. Questioned by “Télé-Loisirs” during the Monte-Carlo television festival last year. Samy Naceri confirmed that he could come back for a sixth opus, while posing some conditions: “If it is Besson who produces, there is no problem. If he decides to sell the franchise to someone. that the scenario pleases me, that I have my team with me and the friends, Frédéric DIEFENTHAL, Bernard FARCY … If I find the DNA of 1, 2, 3 and 4, of course I go for it. I’m going! “