This past spring came the news that not only was Luc Besson returning to the world of sci-fi, he was doing it with his long gestating dream project “Valerian.” Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne have been tapped for the lead roles in the adaptation of of the celebrated French sci-fi comic series “Valerian,” which tells the story of a pair of time-and-space-traveling special agents. And while the filmmaker is keeping plot details under lock and key for now, he did share a bit of what the vibe might be like.
“It’s ‘Mr & Mrs Smith‘ in space,” Besson told European press. “They’re super-agents who travel through time and space. They work for the Human Federation.” So it looks like our two young leads might have some friction between them, maybe not unlike the opposites attract chemistry of Korben Dallas and Leeloo in “The Fifth Element,” but perhaps with a bit more antagonism. And speaking of that film….
“This is so complicated. ‘The Fifth Element’ is like a short film compared to this,” Besson noted about the complicated visual effects work that will be required for his movie that is now apparently titled “Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets,” and will be, according to EuropaCorp marketing manager Fabrice Denizot, a “mission-driven franchise like James Bond.”
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Meanwhile, press also took an opportunity to press Besson about details of the sequel to “Lucy,” which was recently revealed to be in development. And while Besson remained mum, according to Screen Daily‘s sources, there is a script already done, though Besson likely won’t direct.
“Valerian” arrives in cinemas on July 21, 2017.