Before Star Wars , before Dune , there was Valérian and Laureline . Created by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières in 1967, the comic series ran for over four decades, influencing virtually every sci-fi creator who came after it. George Lucas has openly cited Mézières’s designs—specifically the bustling city-planets and worn-down spaceports—as direct inspirations for the Star Wars universe.
Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) is a polarizing feast for the eyes—a $180 million personal gamble
from across the universe have converged to share knowledge and culture over centuries. The Mission Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets - E...
The story is set in the 28th century, where the once-humble International Space Station has been expanded beyond measure, becoming a magnificent, wandering city called Alpha. Home to millions of beings from thousands of planets, Alpha is a glittering monument to interstellar peace and cooperation. To maintain order in this vast metropolis and the surrounding territories, the United Human Federation employs special operatives, the best of whom are the charming but brash Major Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and his more pragmatic partner, Sergeant Laureline (Cara Delevingne).
For every viewer who watches it for the first time, the reaction is usually the same: confusion followed by awe. You don’t watch Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets for the characters; you watch it to live inside a Mézières painting. And in that regard, it is an unqualified masterpiece. Before Star Wars , before Dune , there
The film's success has also inspired a new generation of sci-fi creators, who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the genre. Luc Besson's vision has inspired a new wave of filmmakers to explore the possibilities of science fiction, and the film's legacy will continue to inspire audiences for years to come.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets opened in July 2017, directly against Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk . It earned only $225 million worldwide against a $180 million budget (plus marketing), making it a significant box office bomb. American audiences rejected it, but it performed well in China ($60 million) and France (Besson’s home country). Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a
In an era dominated by superhero formulas and legacy sequels, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets stands out as a flawed but fearless work of passion. It is a film that shouldn’t exist: a $180 million European art film disguised as a space opera. Besson bet everything on the idea that beauty and imagination could overcome narrative deficiencies.
Over 2,500 VFX shots created by top studios like Weta FX and Industrial Light & Magic . The Plot: A Race Against Time