When visionary director Luc Besson announced he was adapting the groundbreaking sci-fi graphic novel Valérian and Laureline, we knew we’d get something beautiful. Now, the new trailer for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is here and confirms as much. The Fifth Element filmmaker looks to have made an absolutely jaw-dropping sci-fi epic starring Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne in the lead roles.
The visuals in this epic space opera are certainly awe-inspiring, though you wouldn’t be wrong to wonder if the story and characters will elevate it over less than stellar genre predecessors like Jupiter Ascending, John Carter, and The Phantom Menace. Just don’t underestimate the kind of impact and verve that Besson’s direction brings.
That song you hear in the trailer is “Because,” by The Beatles. It’s a repeat from the first Valerian teaser, which marked the first time a Beatles song was for a movie trailer. It makes an impression, really selling that expansive, spacey wonder that could set Valerian apart.
Will American audiences connect with Besson’s vision enough to make Valerian a bonafide box office hit, or could it simply stand alongside The Fifth Element as a respected genre favorite? The French director’s sensibilities have always been tuned a little more toward European tastes. That’s part of why his films are so unique. And we’re living in an era of global cinema, where the goal is to create movies with worldwide appeal. It certainly looks appealing, fun, and bursting with Besson’s signature energy.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets stars Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, and John Goodman. See it in US cinemas on July 21, 2017.