Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a visual spectacle, but despite there being plans for more movies following the adventures of Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne), a sequel never happened. In 2017, Luc Besson brought his live-action version of the French sci-fi comic book series Valérian and Laureline, by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières. The project stood out not just for its content but because of its budget and Besson’s efforts to get the funds for the movie. After some bumps on the road, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets was released in 2017. 45704u

American Primevalwas an ensemble show at its core. Exploring the origins of the American West through sweeping cinematography and dramatic storylines, the cast includes mothers, children, fathers, settlers, and indigenous people fighting to maintain their land rights. One such actor is Dane DeHaan, who plays Jacob Pratt in the series. Jacob is a Mormon man who leads his family across the frontier to Utah. In addition, the American Primeval cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Derek Hinkey, and Joe Tippett.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets may not be the most well-known movie, but the Valerian cast is certainly stacked with A-list talent. Based on the French science fiction comic series Valérian and Laureline and released in 2017, the movie takes place in the 28th century and centers on two operatives, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are tasked with traveling to the peaceful Alpha, the City of a Thousand Planets, to complete a mission. However, when an unknown force threatens the future of the entire universe, Valerian and Laureline must race against time to stop them.

Legendary French comic book artist Jean-Claude Mezieres, known internationally as the co-creator of Valerian, has ed away at the age of 83. Throughout a decades-long career in Francophone comics, Mezieres worked almost exclusively on Valerian, allowing him to create a rich body of work that has influenced numerous science fiction comics and film, the Star Wars franchise among them.

Luc Besson has been a visionary when it comes to crafting big-budget sci-fi pieces like The Fifth Element and Lucy. However, a dream project of his had been to adapt the French comic series Valerian and Laureline to the big screen. The result of this was the 2017 space opera Valerian And The City Of Thousand Planets that proved to be the most expensive independent film ever made at a budget of $180 million.

Luc Besson’s company EuropaCorp is struggling financially in the aftermath of a number of box office disappointments. EuropaCorp made a name for itself producing mid-budget action movies like The Transporter films, Taken and 2007 video game adaptation Hitman. In addition to producing, Besson wrote and directed a number of the company’s biggest hits, such as Scarlett Johansson’s Lucy in 2014.

Director Luc Besson is under scrutiny today following rape allegations from a French actress. The veteran filmmaker of such science fiction and action classics as Leon: The Professional, La Femme Nikita, and The Fifth Element — as well as, most recently, critical dud Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets — has refused to comment on the investigation, which is now active.

Netflix is reportedly in talks to acquire Luc Besson's company EuropaCorp. Besson founded the company in 1996 and has been using it to both produce and distribute films ever since. Besson has directed his own films through the company since 2005's French-language fantasy movie Angel-A, and most recently with Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, as well as any future  project the filmmaker has on the horizon.

In 2017, there was something for everyone at the box office. From rich superhero stories like Wonder Woman, Logan and Thor: Ragnarok to inventive horror movies like Get Out and It, and the recent flood of awards season offerings like Call Me By Your Name and Lady Bird, not a week has gone by where there wasn't something worth watching on the big screen.