Visual overload. That’s usually the first thing people say when you bring up Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Most folks remember the Rihanna cameo or the neon-soaked markets, but hardly anyone remembers the plot. Luc Besson spent roughly $200 million of independent money to make this happen. It was a massive gamble.
The film is basically a fever dream based on the French comic series Valérian et Laureline. It’s weird. It’s colorful. Honestly, it’s kinda heartbreaking how hard it flopped at the domestic box office.
The Weird Money Behind Alpha
You've gotta understand that this wasn't a standard Hollywood production. It was essentially the most expensive indie movie ever made. Besson used his studio, EuropaCorp, to cobble together funding from foreign pre-sales, equity, and tax credits. It was a "City of a Thousand Planets" built on a thousand different contracts.
When the movie hit theaters in 2017, the pressure was suffocating. If it didn't hit, EuropaCorp was in trouble. And it didn't. In the US, it opened to a measly $17 million. You can blame the marketing or the weird title, but the reality is that American audiences just didn't "get" the French space-opera vibe. It felt too different from the grit of Star Wars or the quips of Guardians of the Galaxy.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lore
People think Alpha is just a space station. It's not. It's an evolutionary timeline. In the opening sequence—which is genuinely one of the best five minutes in sci-fi history—we see the International Space Station grow. It's set to David Bowie’s "Space Oddity." We see humans greeting Vulcans... wait, no, not Vulcans, but various alien species over hundreds of years.
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The station gets so big it threatens to fall out of Earth's orbit. So, they push it out into deep space. That’s how it becomes the City of a Thousand Planets. It’s a hub of knowledge where thousands of species live in distinct sectors. Some live in gas-filled zones; others live in liquid environments.
The Big Market Problem
One of the most ambitious scenes is the Big Market on the planet Kirian. It exists in another dimension. To see it, you need special glasses. To touch things, you need a localized "trans-matter" glove.
It’s a nightmare to explain on screen.
Critics like Peter Debruge of Variety pointed out that the movie spends so much time explaining its world that it forgets to make us care about Valerian and Laureline themselves. Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne have a... let's call it "unique" chemistry. Some call it wooden; others say it’s just that dry, European comic book style. Regardless, if the audience isn't rooting for the leads, the most beautiful CG in the world won't save you.
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The Technical Wizardry of Weta and ILM
Besson didn't skimp on the visuals. He hired the best. Weta Digital, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), and Rodeo FX all worked on this. They created over 2,700 visual effects shots. For comparison, The Fifth Element only had around 180.
The "Mül" sequence is a perfect example of this. The pearls, the translucent skin of the creatures, the way the light hits the sand—it's technical perfection. It cost a fortune. Every frame is dense. You could pause the movie at any second and find a new alien species tucked in a corner.
Why It Matters Today
Despite the box office failure, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets has a cult following. Why? Because it’s original. In a world of sequels and reboots, Besson tried to build something from scratch (well, scratch-adjacent, since it's an adaptation).
It’s a cautionary tale for film students and a goldmine for concept artists. The movie proves that world-building is a double-edged sword. If you build a world that is too interesting, your characters might end up looking like tourists in their own story.
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How to Actually Experience Valerian
If you're going to watch it—or rewatch it—don't look at it as a narrative masterpiece. It’s a moving art gallery.
- Watch the opening sequence on the best screen you own. It's a standalone short film about human cooperation.
- Ignore the romance. The "will-they-won't-they" subplot between Valerian and Laureline is the weakest link. Focus on the background details instead.
- Research the "Valérian and Laureline" comics from the 1960s. You’ll see exactly where George Lucas got the inspiration for the Millennium Falcon and Han Solo’s outfit.
- Check out the "Art of Valerian" book. It shows the thousands of sketches that didn't even make it into the final "City of a Thousand Planets."
The film is a flawed, beautiful, expensive mess. It’s what happens when a director gets total creative control and a massive checkbook. It’s worth your time, but only if you go in expecting a visual feast rather than a tight script.
Next Steps for Sci-Fi Fans:
Track down the original Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières comics. Seeing the 1960s illustrations will give you a much deeper appreciation for how much Besson nailed the aesthetic of the "City of a Thousand Planets." If you’re a filmmaker, study the Big Market sequence for its use of "parallel space" storytelling—it's a masterclass in complex blocking.