Luc Besson to direct Science Fiction comic Valerian

[chamber-music]

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

An adaptation of the French comic series Valerian and Laureline by Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières, Besson also revealed that Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne will play the iconic characters Valerian and Laureline.

“Valerian and Laureline are exploring Syrte, capital planet of a system of 1,000 worlds. Their mission is to discover whether the Syrtians could present a danger to Earth. What they find is a decaying empire led by decadent aristocrats, a population ripe for revolution, and a mysterious caste of masked wise men who discreetly pull the strings from hidden fortresses. Swept up by the winds of history, the agents of Earth will have to choose a side.”

Going to be interesting to see how this turns out because a number of elements Valérian and Laureline have appeared in things like Star Wars over the years which may make the film feel unoriginal.

 

[Octoberist]

If it was Luc of the 90's I would've been so excited.

 

[:eek:]

Luc Besson Talks His "Valerian" Film

By Garth Franklin Friday July 10th 2015 10:18AM
Following on from his success with "Lucy," filmmaker Luc Besson is returning to the space opera genre which he last tackled with 1997's "The Fifth Element".
"Valerian" will be a whopping $180 million adaptation of the famous European comic of the same name, and is a project the helmer considers the largest challenge of his career.
Speaking with Heat Vision, Besson says he first tried to tackle Valerian years ago but: "I saw Avatar and had to throw the script into the garbage... It was too normal, it was not good enough. All the directors in the world have to thank him [James Cameron] because every five years he comes out with a movie and pushes us."
Challenged by Cameron's intense world building, Besson has apparently retained only around half of what he originally wrote. The story follows a 26th century time-traveling galactic agent and involves only five living actors along with a bunch of alien species all living on a spaceship twelve miles in diameter.
There will be a love story amid a larger story of good versus evil, but he wants to escape the film patterns of a villain introduced early and events being on a pre-determined course.
Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne star in the film which aims to begin a six month shoot in January ahead of a 2017 release. Besson admits: "The Fifth Element is a short film compared to this."
Source: Heat Vision

 

[Fallen Angel]

Clive Owen joins "Valerian" http://bit.ly/1J5e3KZ

 

[Octoberist]

It could be good. Luc is a weird director.

While I liked Lucy, it's just a high budget B-movie. I don't know if he can reach the heights of Leon, the Fifth Element, or La Femme Nikta.

 

[dude stannis]

I wonder if Clive's character will take futuristic cocaine shots to the peener.

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

Not fond of the main cast, let's wait for first pictures.

 

[TalismanRing]

$180m with this cast and this material is kind of nutty.

 

[Octoberist]

Where is that money coming from btw?

 

[Fallen Angel]

Where is that money coming from btw?

Europa Corp and a Chinese distribution firm are producing this.

 

[chamber-music]

Highlander Christopher Lambert is CEO of Europa Corp.

 

[dark_b]

Highlander Christopher Lambert is CEO of Europa Corp.

google searched for Lambert and EuropaCorp. woow

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

Where is that money coming from btw?

from all the crap, semi crap and good stuff that Besson produce I would guess.

 

[-JKR-]

google searched for Lambert and EuropaCorp. woow

He's not. Already went through that mix-up myself.

This guy

CHRISTOPHE (withour the final 'r') LAMBERT is.

 

[dark_b]

haha OMG

 

[Carlo Comicus]

No more filming in Hungary for Valerian movie?

http://www.lospaziobianco.it/161445-nuovi-eroi-arrow-batman-cinematic-universe

After the controversy raised by filmmaker Luc Besson about not being able to shoot Valerian in France, it seems that things can change for the feature film that will be played by Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne.
The issuer radiofonic Europe 1 has announced in recent days that the French Ministry of Culture would initiate a procedure to change the law on the tax credit for films. The aim would be to facilitate a tax loophole that would allow filmmakers to save, bringing the current figure of 4 million euro to 30 million, which would correspond to the current authorized ceiling for foreign films made in France, as it is considered the project Besson.

The methods of a tax credit must be determined, after a ministerial meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Bercy and Matignon.
The news, if confirmed, could have a significant impact on Hungary, which in recent weeks has been preparing to welcome the team of 1000 people, who were supposed to work on the film for eight months. Besson will start production of Valerian in his studies in Saint-Denis.

 

[Fallen Angel]

Staying n France now.

Luc Besson's Sci-Fi Epic 'Valerian' to Shoot in France After Incentives Tweak (Report) http://thr.cm/KbiKJp

After publicly threatening to move production of his new sci-fi epic Valerian to Hungary, Luc Besson will be getting a tax break from the French government to keep the big-budget production in France.
According to media reports, a special amendment to current tax incentives was introduced Friday with help from the ministries of economy and culture, which want Besson’s latest blockbuster to stay.
At $180 million, Valerian is set to be the biggest-budget European film ever.

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

Now, if he could pick up actors that somehow looks like Valerian and Laureline....

 

[:eek:]

Enter the Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets costume contest!

EuropaCorp has teamed up with Yahoo Style on a global search for innovative and original costume design to appear in the upcoming science fiction epic Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, starring Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, and Clive Owen. Together, EuropaCorp and Yahoo Style will launch a design contest that invites artists to submit their original designs for use in the film, which begins shooting in Europe in January 2016. Check out the video below to see Besson himself tell you about the film and the contest, and check out the actual contest page HERE!
“’Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ encompasses a diverse array of characters from all parts of the universe,” said writer/director Luc Besson, “I believe the world we live in is filled with people from all walks of life who possess an abundance of creativity and untapped potential. My hope is that by offering a contest like this to artists worldwide, we will gain access to inspired and original creations from a plethora of fresh perspectives, and the film will benefit from this collaboration.”
The contest, which will launch on Yahoo Style on October 7, 2015, runs through November 27, 2015. Editor in Chief of Yahoo Style, Joe Zee, will serve as one of the judges, along with the film’s writer/director Luc Besson and costume designer Olivier Bériot who will choose up to twenty winners whose designs will appear in the film. Winners will be announced on December 14, 2015.
Rooted in the classic graphic novel series, Valerian and Laureline- visionary writer/director Luc Besson advances this iconic source material into the contemporary, unique and epic science-fiction saga Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. Valerian has more in mind than a professional relationship with his partner- blatantly chasing after her with propositions of romance. But his extensive history with women, and her traditional values, drive Laureline to continuously rebuff him.
Under directive from their Commander (Clive Owen), Valerian and Laureline embark on a mission to the breathtaking intergalactic city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all four corners of the universe. Alpha’s seventeen million inhabitants have converged over time- uniting their talents, technology and resources for the betterment of all. Unfortunately, not everyone on Alpha shares in these same objectives; in fact, unseen forces are at work, placing our race in great danger.

 

[Fallen Angel]

Luc Besson's 'Valerian' draws visual effects heavyweights http://bit.ly/1WdZp9W

It’s unusual nowadays for the backers of a tentpole film to announce the vfx studio or studios well in advance. Security considerations alone can trump such an announcement. But “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” is zigging where most of the industry zags. EuropaCorp, which is backing Luc Besson’s cult comic book adaptation, has named the three top vfx studios that will collaborate to create the picture’s futuristic look.

Weta Digital, Industrial Light & Magic and Rodeo FX are all on board for “Valerian.” Sophie Leclerc, who worked with Besson on “Lucy,” is visual effects producer. Scott Stokdyk is the overall vfx supervisor on the film. Joe Letteri, senior vfx supervisor for Weta, will be vfx supe for the New Zealand-based vfx giant.

 

[Octoberist]

I hope he can bring back the magic that he had with The Fifth Element, which to me is still a very underrated movie. It kinda slows down once they're at the cruiseship but to me its a near-classic.

 

[:eek:]

Singer Rihanna has joined the cast of Luc Besson’s Valerian!

Director Luc Besson took to Instagram today to announce that Grammy Award winner Rihanna has joined the cast of his upcoming film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, in what he calls “a big part.” Rihanna previously made her big screen debut in Peter Berg’s 2012 film Battleship and has gone on to appear in Sony’s Annie remake, provided a voice in the animated film Home, and as “herself” in This Is the End. She joins a cast that includes Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, and Clive Owen.

In the story, Valerian (DeHaan) and Laureline (Delevingne) are exploring Syrte, capital planet of a system of 1,000 worlds. Their mission is to discover whether the Syrtians could present a danger to Earth. What they find is a decaying empire led by decadent aristocrats, a population ripe for revolution, and a mysterious caste of masked wise men who discreetly pull the strings from hidden fortresses. Swept up by the winds of history, the agents of Earth will have to choose a side.
Adapted for the screen and directed by Besson (Lucy, The Fifth Element), the film will be the most expensive film yet produced and distributed by his EuropaCorp banner. It is based on the French comic series “Valerian and Laureline” by Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières. Created in 1967, the comic has since sold over 10 million copies in 21 languages.

 

[:eek:]

Ethan Hawke Boards Luc Besson’s Sci-Fi Epic ‘Valerian’

http://deadline.com/2015/12/valerian-ethan-hawke-luc-besson-1201654757/

 

[Alien Anal]

Great! I always enjoy Ethan Hawke.

 

[:eek:]

Luc Besson Announces That Herbie Hancock Is Joining ‘Valerian’

http://deadline.com/2015/12/valerian-luc-besson-herbie-hancock-1201665802/#