Explore this weekend’s sci-fi actioner with director Luc Besson and his Valerian cast
This Friday, EuropaCorp and STXfilms are bringing to the big screen Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, a visual effects spectacle that, for director Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Lucy), has been decades in the making. Based on the European comic book series Valerian and Laureline by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières, Valerian brings to life a series that, across five decades and 23 volumes, builds out a science fiction universe unlike any other. We had the chance to sit down with Besson and his Valerian cast (stars Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne) to get an inside look at what makes Valerian something special.
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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets stars DeHaan and Delevingne as Valerian and Laureline, special operatives for the government of the human territories and 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.
Written and directed by Luc Besson and produced by Virginie Besson-Silla, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets also stars Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, Herbie Hancock and Kris Wu.
