Variety is reporting that Luc Besson (who has written action films such as
Taken,
Columbiana and
Lockout, as well as directing
Arthur And The Invisibles among other movies) is set to both write and direct an English language adaptation of
Valerian, a French science fiction comic book series created in 1967 by Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mezieres (who was a conceptual designer on Besson's
The Fifth Element). The news was confirmed by EuropaCorp CEO Christophe Lambert on Friday. The comic series, also known as
Valerian And Laureline, has previously inspired an animated TV series (which was released in 2007). Below are some plot details for the series (via
Wikipedia):
The series focuses on the adventures of the dark-haired Valérian, a spatio-temporal agent, and his redheaded female companion, Laureline, as they travel the universe through space and time. Valérian is a classical anti-hero, kind-hearted, strong and brave but with a tendency to follow the orders of his superiors even if he feels, deep down, that it is the wrong thing to do. On the other hand, his companion Laureline combines her superior intelligence, determination and independence with sex-appeal, making her one of science fiction's most notable heroines. Influenced by classic literary science fiction, the series mixes space opera with time travel plots. Christin's scripts are noted for their humour, complexity and strongly humanist and left-wing liberal political ideas while Mézières' art is characterised by its vivid depictions of the alien worlds and species Valérian and Laureline encounter on their adventures. The series was a landmark in European comics and pop culture, and influenced other media as well - traces of its concepts, storylines and designs can be found on sci-fi films such as Star Wars, The Fifth Element, and Avatar.
The ever-busy Besson will next shoot the thriller
Malavita (which stars Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Tommy Lee Jones) later this summer. Whether or not
Valerian will follow is currently unknown.
Do you wish to see a live action film based on the
Valerian comic book series?