Stakes are high for Luc Besson's intergalactic leap into 'Valerian'

[July 13, 2017]  By Rollo Ross

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Introducing a brand new multi-million dollar intergalactic adventure film based on a French comic book strip during a summer box office dominated by superheroes and sequels may be considered a big risk to take by an independent filmmaker.

But French director Luc Besson was so confident in his vision for adapting the "Valerian and Laureline" sci-fi comics into a film, he took his script and sketches to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival three years ago with the hopes of securing funding for the $150 million project.

"They all raised their hands because they loved the script so we had almost 90 percent of the funding in one day," Besson told Reuters.

Set in the 28th century where humans and aliens have found a home on the space station Alpha, "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" follows two space agents, the cocky Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and the spirited Laureline (Cara Delevingne) trying to uncover the origins of a mysterious force.

They journey through the different environments and diverse population of Alpha, known as the city of a thousand planets where species include sea monsters and organic robots to winged reptilians and thuggish bug-eyed ogres.

The film comes out in theaters on July 21 and is the fruition of Besson's nearly 50-year obsession with the comic strip he discovered at the age of 10, setting him on a path to make films such as "The Fifth Element" and "Lucy."

The stakes are high for Besson's EuropaCorp film studio as "Valerian" enters a box office saturated with superhero films such as "Wonder Woman" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and sequels such as "War for the Planet of the Apes" and "Despicable Me 3."

Still, the director didn't consider it a gamble.

"You take risks when you do a first-time director movie at $8 million and no cast. That's a gamble," Besson said, adding that Valerian's theatrical rights had already been bought across nearly 120 countries.

Early reviews for the film have been mixed, with critics praising the vibrant visuals but criticizing the plot and performances.

Variety's Peter Debruge said the film's "creativity outweighs its more uneven elements." Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy dubbed it a frontrunner for the Razzies, Hollywood's annual tongue-in-cheek "worst film" awards.

But Besson believes the audience will determine the success of the film and future installments.

"I wish they love the film because I'm dying to make another one because I love Cara and Dane," he said.

(Reporting by Rollo Ross for Reuters TV; Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Sandra Maler)

[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.