Distributor Christian Larouche says a child could have released the film version of the long-running Quebec TV hockey saga Lance et Compte – which came in number two behind Harry Potter at the Quebec box office this past weekend.

“We really didn’t have to do much. Quebecers are so attached to the characters,” the co-president of Les Films Christal told Playback Daily. “My eight-year-old daughter could release Lance et Compte.”

The film, which is produced by Larouche’s wife Caroline Héroux and is based on a TV series of the same name which has captivated audiences here for nearly twenty-five years, drew nearly $700,000 for the weekend of Nov. 26.

“Lance et Compte is for me a dream come true,” says Larouche, adding that he feels rejuvenated because of the success of Incendies and Lance et Compte. “I’ve had lots of problems in the last couple of years and I’m just trying to enjoy the ride. I believe I learned a lot because of what happened.”

In 2008 Larouche’s company, Christal Films Distribution, declared bankruptcy. Last year eOne, which owns Quebec’s Seville Pictures worked out a deal with the veteran distributor to launch a new eOne subsidiary, Les Films Christal, with Larouche as co-president. The company uses the infrastructure of eOne’s Seville Pictures in Quebec and eOne Entertainment across Canada to release titles.

“My wife produced the series and I always told her she should make a film and I was right,” says Larouche. “Even though it was up against Harry Potter, I wasn’t nervous. It’s a very solid brand.”

Larouche believes the film could draw up to $5 million at the box office.

Despite being panned by critics at the French-language daily Le Devoir and the Montreal Gazette, the film will likely do well. Quebecers just can’t seem to get enough of it. Last year, the latest edition of the TV series drew 1.8 million viewers at the peak of its popularity.

The series, which began in the mid 1980s, is written by La Presse sports columnist Réjean Tremblay and tells the story of a fictional NHL hockey team from Quebec City and its players. When it first aired it broke ground in Quebec television for its fast-paced style and high production values, which contrasted sharply to most Quebec teleroman (kitchen soaps) at the time. Lance et Compte is a common Quebec hockey expression that essentially means “he shoots he scores.”

The film is directed by Frederik D’Amours.