On December 4th, director Luc Besson tweeted that filming on his sci-fi film Valerian will begin in 30 days, and preparation is now officially underway. His stars Dane DeHaan (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad) posted photos to social media of their preparations, including hair, makeup, and table reads.
In the film, which is based on the graphic novel of the same name, DeHaan plays time traveler Valerian, while Delevingne plays his sidekick, Laureline. The former posted a photo shot by Besson of him getting his hair washed and presumably dyed, and the latter offered a sneak peek at the trio ready to go through the script.
... and so it begins #Valerian @lucbesson @danedehaan A photo posted by Cara Delevingne (@caradelevingne) on
Joining the duo on this adventure are singer Rihanna (Battleship), said to have a “big part” in the film; Ethan Hawke (Boyhood); Clive Owen (The Knick); and John Goodman (Trumbo). Besson, giving off a strong The Fifth Element vibe, is writing and directing the film, while his wife Virginia is producing on behalf of EuropaCorp. There’s still a great deal to be discovered regarding this project, but thankfully Besson has been vigilant in keeping his fans up to date through posts to social media. He previously announced casting additions and revealed behind-the-scenes looks, including the first logo art for the film.
Valerian is scheduled for theaters on July 21, 2017.
Here’s the plot description of Valerian #1 from Amazon:
VALERIAN is a saga that every fan of Star Wars and Star Trek will identify with and love. Valerian and his beautiful, sharp-witted and sharp-tongued partner, Laureline, live adventures set against visually stunning backgrounds: complex architectural inventions, futuristic machines, otherworldly landscapes, and odd-looking aliens that are staples of artist Mezieres’s seemingly boundless visual inventiveness. The stories are gripping and of epic proportion, sweeping along in trilling, hyper-space speed.