Hey space opera fans! If you've been living under a ROCK, you may not have heard that Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) is directing a film adaption of the Valerian & Laureline comics.
The first poster was just released at New York Comic Con and it's a DOOZY:
Nice aft view of their XB982 astroship, which--so far--looks fairfly faithful to the comic:
We'll have to wait until July 21st, 2017 for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets to hit theaters. Strangely, the heroine Laureline's name has been dropped from the title of the film, though she had equal billing with Valerian in the comics.
As for the film version, we have a bevy of concept art and official images from the set to tide us over until the trailer comes out (right click to enlarge images):
Here's the film's official synopsis:
Rooted in the classic graphic novel series, Valerian and Laureline -- visionary writer/director Luc Besson advances this iconic source material into a contemporary, unique and epic science fiction saga.It's been proposed that Star Wars drew inspiration from the comic by Jean-Claude Mezieres, though that's never been confirmed. I think there's similarities, for sure, but it's tough to draw a straight line from one to the other. One round ship doesn't quite merit paternity, but it's fun to think how Lucas might have been informed (and he's said as much, once upon a time). Still, the comic's influence in popular culture is widely apparent.
Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories 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.
Besson has always looked to comics for inspiration in his films (see: Fifth Elements ties to Moebius and Mezieres) so I'm expecting some fantastic visuals to light up the screen next year!
Images: Luc Besson on Instagram, Entertainment Weekly, and others.
I had never seen the comics, but I had seen the animated series Time Jam: Valerian & Laureline. I have read that it differs from comics, its is still a good space action/adventure series that builds and unfolds a mystery throughout. It is worth checking out.
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