The new trailer for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (that’s some title) has dropped, and it looks AMAZING. This new adaptation of a decades-long Franco-Belgian comic series is directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Lucy) and judging by the trailer, this is The Fifth Element turned up to Eleven.
I personally had not read the comic series, but after seeing this I want to now. The comic, Valérian and Laureline, ran from 1967 until 2010 and has been published over the years in sets of graphic novels. It tells the story of Valerian and Laurelin, two “Spatio-Temporal Agents” in the 28th century. The vast Terran Galactic Empire has mastered instantaneous travel through time and space, which means infinite story possibilities.
It’s difficult to tell from this teaser what the plot will be, but I’m not sure it matters. The film looks like it will be all about spectacle. Fans of space opera and bonkers eye-candy extravaganzas like The Fifth Element and Jupiter Ascending be on notice. Valerian looks like it is sure to please.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets opens in theaters on July 21, 2017.
