Luc Besson Slams Reports About ‘Lucy 2’ Development

Despite a recent report that he was actively developing a sequel to 2014’s Lucy, it’s apparently news to Luc Besson. The filmmaker is speaking out, slamming the report as “fake news.”

The report about the supposed sequel originated in Variety, and indicated that Besson’s film studio EuropaCorp had unveiled a new plan to scale back its projects following record financial losses last year as well as the commercial failure of the big budget sci-fi epic Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. The report, which attributed the information to EuropaCorp CEO Marc Schmuger, also stated that Besson was already at work developing a sequel to Lucy, and that he had already written the script.

However, Besson posted on his Facebook page last night that the report was not true, and the filmmaker had brutal words for journalists, accusing them of spreading fake news and insisting that he’s not working on Lucy 2, either now or in the future. You can read the English translation of the message, which was included in French on his post, below:

“Dear journalists.

You do a great job, noble and useful. You investigate, cross-reference the information, then you recut it so that the truth, of which you are the spokesperson, can be heard.

What an honor for you to inform, prevent, guide, decrypt even … But that was before. Before the Internet and your unbridled and idiotic race to the scoop. It does not matter if the info is right or wrong as long as we’re the first to say anything. To hell with ethics and morals. Let us take up a foreign article and let us simply translate it, without perspective, without discernment. When did you lose that faith? When did you give up? We may make films that you don’t like, but we apply, often for years, to serve our love and our faith.

Please try to regain your dignity, your nobility, your courage. We would need you so much in this very difficult time. Take it easy. Respect yourself. For the record: No I’m not preparing Lucy 2. Neither yesterday nor tomorrow. Yet this fake news went around the world thanks to you …. You will tell me: “‘It’s not a big deal.’ It’s true, you’re right … but it’s ‘fake’ and normally this word shouldn’t be part of your vocabulary, because if we can’t believe you, how do we hold a democracy? Our freedom depends on your integrity.”

This isn’t the first time Besson has been outspoken about films in recent months. Back in August, the French director also slammed Captain America and superhero films overall, saying that he is “totally tired” of them in an interview with CinePop.

“It was great ten years ago when we see the first Spider-Man and Iron Man,” Besson said. “But now, it’s like number five, six, seven; the superhero is working with another superhero, but it’s not the same family. I’m lost.”