While he has spent the majority of his time since the 90s writing or directing action flicks and thrillers such as ‘The Transporter’, ‘Taken’, and ‘Lucy’, Luc Besson makes his much awaited return to the science fiction genre later this year with ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’. The legendary filmmaker behind the wildly acclaimed ‘Fifth Element’ finally gets to play around in an over-the-top and colorful futuristic world once again thanks to the live-action adaptation of the French comic ‘Valérian and Laureline’ from writer Pierre Christin and illustrator Jean-Claude Mézières. And now thanks to CinemaCon, we get to see even more of the director’s epic vision courtesy of a brand new trailer.
During their presentation at the film industry convention, STX Entertainment unveiled the latest preview for ‘Valerian’, which stars Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne as a duo of intergalactic agents tasked with keeping the diverse and bustling planet known as Alpha safe. Just like the first footage seen at San Diego Comic-Con, fans are able to see the incredible aliens populating the film while getting a small taste of the action featuring the two young stars and their amazingly designed surroundings. You can check out the trailer below, followed by the official synopsis of the film:
Valerian and Laureline 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, 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.
So does anyone else feel like Valerian and Laureline were being chased by a distant and angry relative of the Woola from the 2012 version of ‘John Carter’? I guess the better question is if anyone actually remembers that movie. But back to the point, are you excited to see Besson making a comeback to the genre that he revolutionized for an entire generation of fans? Do you think that ‘Valerian’ could measure up visually with ‘Fifth Element’? Or might the upcoming film surpass it thanks to the various technological advancements since 1998? Let us know your thoughts and theories on ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ in the comments.
‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ starring Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, Rutger Hauer, Herbie Hancock, and John Goodman takes off on July 21, 2017.
Despite being a “professional writer”, Ben likes run-on sentences far too much. For more of his attempts at being funny and the occasional insightful thought, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
