When we got our first peek at Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets — the feature film adaptation of Jean-Claude Mezieres and Pierre Christin’s Valerian and Laureline comic book series — people instantly compared the creature designs and the overall visual look to The Fifth Element. That makes total sense since Luc Besson is the director of both the 1997 sci-fi classic and the upcoming film.
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However, their director might be the only thing linking them together. A new poster was released and it appears to include an easter egg referencing The Fifth Element. If you look in the upper right hand corner, you will see an intriguing sign. The bulbous head of the Jabba the Hutt-like alien blocks us from seeing the full name, but it might read: “Korben’s.” And if that’s so, it stands to reason it is a reference to Korben Dallas — which is the name of Bruce Willis‘ Fifth Element character who fell in love with Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) and helped the perfect, supreme being save the world.
Now the question is: Will Korben Dallas appear in the film, or is that just name-only reference? Seeing as though The Fifth Element was set in the 23rd century and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is set in the 28th century, that’s probably not possible. But who knows? Maybe Leeloo will appear, and she happened to name an establishment in honor of the man she fell in love with.
A Closer Look:
(via /Film)
Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. Valerian has more in mind than a professional relationship with his partner- blatantly chasing after her with propositions of romance. But his extensive history with women, and her traditional values, drive Laureline to continuously rebuff him.
Under directive from their Commander (Clive Owen), Valerian and Laureline embark on a mission to the breathtaking intergalactic city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all four corners of the universe. Alpha’s seventeen million inhabitants have converged over time- uniting their talents, technology and resources for the betterment of all. Unfortunately, not everyone on Alpha shares in these same objectives; in fact, unseen forces are at work, placing our race in great danger.
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Luc Besson produced, wrote, and directed Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets will be released on July 21!
