This sci-fi film which cost $200 million was a huge failure at the cinema: it is one of the most expensive in the history of cinema

Game news This sci-fi film which cost $200 million was a huge failure at the cinema: it is one of the most expensive in the history of cinema

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planetsa science fiction film directed by Luc Besson, holds the distinction of being one of the most expensive European and independent films ever made, with a colossal budget exceeding 177 million dollars. Despite its scale and ambition, the film suffered a significant setback at the box office, grossing only just over $225 million worldwide, which is a financial loss when advertising spending is taken into account. . The film's disappointing performance is compounded by poor critical reception, evidenced by a rating of only 47% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film's financial failure has been called one of the biggest flops in cinema history.

Set in the 28th century, Valérian follows two special agents, Major Valérian (Dane DeHaan) and Sergeant Laureline (Cara Delevingne), charged with maintaining order in the universe for the United Human Federation. The duo is sent on a mission to Alpha, a vast intergalactic city housing seventeen million inhabitants from the four corners of the cosmos. As they immerse themselves in their mission, Valérian and Laureline discover a mysterious dark force that threatens the existence of Alpha and the entire universe, sparking a race against time to save it. Director Luc Besson had dreamed of making this film since he read the comic strip at the age of 12.

The director says a Valerian sequel is still possible thanks to the film's “huge fan base.” The film is based on the French science fiction comic book series Valérian et Laureline. Besides the two leads, the film features a wide cast of supporting characters and a number of cameos. The film is a space opera, filled with aliens and special effects. A key action sequence, known as “Big Market”, takes place between dimensions and features 600 visual effects shots. Besson worked with his students to visualize this sequence over a three-week period. The director had his editor edit his film during filming so that post-production was minimal. The film's budget was 197,471,676 euros and included 2,547 visual effects shots and 200 alien species.

A disappointing reception

Valérian can count on an ensemble cast that includes Dane DeHaan in the role of the comical Major Valérian and Cara Delevingne in that of the more serious Sergeant Laureline. Clive Owen plays Commander Arün Filitt, Valérian and Laureline's superior, who turns out to be the villain. Singer Rihanna plays Bubble, a shapeshifting artist. The cast also includes Ethan Hawke as Jolly Mac, Herbie Hancock as Minister of Defense and Sam Spruell as General Okto-Bar. Rutger Hauer appears briefly as the President of the World State Federation. Alain Chabat plays Bob the Pirate, an original character created by Luc Besson for the film. The film was not well received by critics. One journalist noted that while the film had an interesting premise, “the action scenes were excessive, suffocating, drowned in special effects”and that these sequences were “tasteless”. Some viewers, however, found the film surprisingly enjoyable, citing the rich worlds, creative settings, and engaging action, as well as the actors' performances. In addition to its poor box office performance in the American market, the film also underperformed in France, with 4,040,253 tickets sold. Despite the negative reception, some praised its originality and visual spectacle.