From the crazed, hyperactive mind of Luc Besson comes Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, the French filmmaker’s adaptation of the graphic novel by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières. This sprawling sci-fi adventure looks to be much in the vein of Besson’s The Fifth Element, with eye-popping computer effects and a wildly unique production design. I simply hope there’s not some grating over-the-top character to give me a headache like Chris Tucker did as Ruby Rhod.
Dane DeHaan stars as Valerian, a special operative who works with his partner Laureline (Cara Delevingne) who are tasked with travelling to the city of Alpha, which is the hub where all the knowledge of the universe has been collected. Of course, there’s a central mystery that pulls our heroes deeper into this wild, colorful world.
This latest trailer for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets does a very good job of giving us a feel for this madcap creation from Luc Besson without giving us too many details about the story of the film. Frankly, I have no idea what’s going on but I have a desire to see more. Co-starring with DeHaan and Delevingne are Clive Owen, Rutger Hauer, Ethan Hawke, and Rhianna.
The bizarre and unique vision of Luc Besson comes to theaters on July 21st, 2017 from STX Entertainment.
The official synopsis for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets:
VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS is the visually spectacular new adventure film from Luc Besson, the legendary director of The Professional, The Fifth Element and Lucy, based on the ground-breaking comic book series which inspired a generation of artists, writers and filmmakers.
In the 28th century, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of Alpha-an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. There is a mystery at the center of Alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.
