Laurent Tirard, French director of ‘Little Nicholas’ and ‘Moliere’, dies aged 57

French filmmaker Laurent Tirard, known for films including Little Nicholas, Molière and Asterix & Obelisk: God Save Britannia, has died aged 57 following a long illness, his agent announced on Thursday (September 5).

Tirard directed several features across two decades. His most recent film was 2022’s Oh My Goodness! (Juste Ciel!) about nuns competing in a bicycle race, while The Speech was selected for the pandemic-year Cannes Label in 2020; the filmmaker also served on the Un Certain Regard jury in 1999.

Two of Tirard’s most successful films were his 2009 adaptation of well-known children’s book series Little Nicholas, which sold 5.6 million tickets in France, and its 2014 sequel Nicholas Holiday On Holiday which sold 2.5 million tickets.

Molière starred Romain Duris and garnered more than 1 million admissions in 2007, while Asterix & Obelisk: God Save Britannia starring Catherine Deneuve and Fabrice Luchini sold nearly 4 million tickets in 2012.

Other notable titles include his 2016 romantic comedy Up For Love starring Jean Dujardin and Virginie Efira and 2018 costume drama Return Of A Hero also starring Dujardin.

Both Little Nicholas and Molière earned Cesar nominations for best screenplay.

Tirard studied filmmaking at NYU and worked as a script reader for Warner Bros in Los Angeles before returning to his native France where his debut feature The Story Of My Life earned actor Clovis Cornillac a Cesar award in 2005.

He also directed episodes of hit series Call My Agent!.