Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: From Box Office Bomb to Streaming Success

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In a surprising turn of events, Luc Besson’s movie “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” which initially received mixed responses from both critics and audiences when it was released in 2017 and didn’t do exceptionally well at the worldwide box office, has been gaining traction on Max. After just ten days of being available for streaming, it has managed to move up to the fifth spot on the Max Top 10 streaming chart.

French filmmaker Besson has gained fame for movies like “The Fifth Element,” “Leon: The Professional” (starring young Natalie Portman), and “Lucy” (featuring Scarlett Johansson). He also contributed to the script of “Taken.” However, among his works, “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” is often seen as his most ambitious project since “The Fifth Element.

The movie served as a deeply personal endeavor for its director, who is well-known for having personally funded the production and forgoing any compensation to make it happen. With a budget of approximately $180 million, Valerian was France’s costliest independently produced film at that point in time. Interestingly, a trilogy had initially been envisioned, with the script for the sequel already completed before the first installment even premiered.

Regrettably, the movie launched with lackluster earnings of $17 million domestically and eventually grossed around $41 million. This was not improved by its release date clashing with Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk on July 21, 2017. In France, its homeland, the film managed a dismal $36.7 million, leading to a worldwide total of only $225.9 million. The majority of this came from China, where it earned $62 million. Despite a standout performance by Rihanna, it was unable to save the film from underperforming.

Why did ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ Bomb?

One key factor that led to Valerian‘s underperformance at the box office was its ability to split both critics and viewers. Despite its impressive visuals and special effects, the movie’s narrative had several problems. As of now, on Rotten Tomatoes it has a critical rating of 47% and an audience rating of 53%. The general consensus is that “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets manages to surmount narrative hurdles with its sheer energy and visual spectacle, offering a cinematic experience where the occasional flaws are sometimes overshadowed by the surreal enjoyment it provides“.

As a devoted admirer, I found myself immersed in the cinematic adaptation of the captivating French comic, “Valérian and Laureline,” penned by Pierre Christin and beautifully illustrated by Jean-Claude Mézières. The storyline unfolds as follows:

30th century sees Major Valerian (played by Dane DeHaan) and Sergeant Laureline (performed by Cara Delevingne) as a team, ensuring harmony across human-held territories. On orders from the defense minister, they set off on a journey to Alpha, a dynamic city that brings together various species for mutual knowledge and cultural exchange. However, when a sinister force poses a threat to this tranquil urban hub, and potentially the entire universe, Valerian and Laureline find themselves in a desperate race against time to pinpoint the danger and save the future of all existence.

The movie proved to be such a financial flop that Besson’s production company, EuropaCorp, which funded it, unfortunately had to reduce its workforce a year after its release. The intended trilogy is now unlikely to continue, but it has surprisingly found success as streaming content on Max.

However, things turned out favorably for some of the film’s cast members. Delevingne subsequently starred in Steve Martin and Martin Short’s hit series “Only Murders in the Building” and “American Horror Story”. At the same time, DeHaan appeared in the successful series “American Primeval” and the Oscar-winning film “Oppenheimer”. Besson is currently directing “June and John”, as well as the low-rated “Anna”.

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2025-01-28 01:35