Why You Should Look Forward To Luc Besson’s Valerian
Director Luc Besson, most famous for his surreal mid-90’s feature The Fifth Element, is deep in post-production on Valerian, what many are considering the spiritual successor to Fifth Element even though it adapts a different property. To give you an idea of what you’re in for, it’s going to take at least a year to complete all the set pieces and creatures that will only exist in CGI cyberspace. 2,700 in all! The movie is a straight adaption of Valérian and Laureline, the most popular comic book you’ve never heard of. It began in 1967 and ended in 2010, and is one of the most beloved comics in Europe. What makes it so cool? The titular character is a space cop from the 28th century who works for the Spatio-Temporal Service, an organization that guards the flow of time. He rescues a peasant woman from danger in 11th century France, and she comes back with him (this would be Laureline). They become partners and freelance adventurers in a mashup of