Luc Besson returns to the director’s chair for an ambitious adaptation and expansion of the graphic novel ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets‘…
It looks and feels like a cross between Guardians of the Galaxy, The Fifth Element, bits of Star Wars and, perhaps less fortunately, Jupiter Ascending. When the first real trailer for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets hit the interwebs today it certainly stimulated a few million synapses with its stunning visuals. That’s perhaps not a big surprise as it comes from the mind and director’s chair of Luc Besson, adapting the comic / graphic novels to the screen and bringing with it his usual flair fora big canvas and lots of weird and wonderful creations.
In the past, films such as The Fifth Element – and more recently the underwhelming Lucy – have been praised for the way they look but have been less well received for their sometimes scattershot plots, so it’s hard to tell whether this will be a feast for the mind and heart as well as the eyes.
The premise: Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. 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.
Also included in the cast are the likes of Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, Herbie Hancock and Kris Wu.
We’ll have to wait until July 2017 to see the finished film…
