Luc Besson is already hard at work writing two Valerian sequels

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

There may still be a few days until VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS officially hits theaters, but director Luc Besson is already hard at work penning scripts for two more sequels; in fact, Besson told Nerdist that the script for the first sequel is already completed and he's in the midst of writing the second. That's optimism.

I finished the number two already and I’m writing the number three. I don’t know if we will do it, because it’s not up to me. It’s up to the audience if they like it. But my friends all said, ‘Why are you writing the second one? You don’t even know if you’re going to do it.’ [And I said] ‘I don’t care. It’s fine. [laughs] I’m just happy to write it, so I’m enjoying writing it. So I don’t even wait, I’m just writing for myself. So I finished the [sequel] already, and I get bored a month ago, so I said, ‘F**k it, let’s write the third.'

Luc Besson added that he could "write fifteen of them, just for fun." Those sequels may very well wind up being just for fun if VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS doesn't impress at the box-office. It's rare to find a big-budget sci-fi blockbuster which isn't based around a known property, let alone one which is as unapologetically insane as VALERIAN is, and I'll be curious to see what audiences around the world make of the film. Luc Besson is certainly passionate about the world of VALERIAN, which is based upon the Valérian and Laureline comic series, and if there's a way to make these sequels happen, you can bet that Besson will do everything he can.

As a huge fan of THE FIFTH ELEMENT, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS is ever bit as colourful and crazy as it appears to be. In his review, our own JimmyO called VALERIAN, "a truly remarkable display of imagination and may be the stand out movie of the summer simply because you won't see anything else like it," but he did say that the "story may not work for everyone" as it's a "strange mix of comedy and romance and sci-fi adventure." Make sure to check out JoBlo's interviews with Luc Besson, Cara Delevingne, and Dane DeHaan as well!

The official synopsis for VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS:

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.

VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS will hit theaters on July 21st.