Secret Lockdown Film ‘June and John’ by ‘Fifth Element’ Director Drops Trailer

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A movie titled “June and John“, directed by Luc Besson, is set to hit theaters in spring 2025. This film was made using a phone in Los Angeles during the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020. The stars of this film are fresh faces, Mathida Price as June and Luke Stanton Eddy as John, who were featured in “The Fifth Element” by the same director.

In 2022, Kinology, a production company that collaborated with EuropaCorp owned by Besson, first presented the film to potential buyers and distributors at the Cannes Film Festival. However, there was no news about it until the release of the trailer and poster. As reported by Variety, the movie’s storyline unfolds as follows:

John, a man trapped in a mundane existence, finds his world turned upside down upon meeting June, an energetic and bold woman. Accompanied by her, they dive headfirst into an exhilarating journey brimming with emotion, danger, and personal growth – a high-stakes escapade that brings vibrancy, enchantment, and affection to their lives.

Will ‘June & John’ Be a Return to Form for Luc Besson?

In my opinion, this trailer exudes an undeniable coolness, showcasing Besson’s signature flair, marked by vibrant hues, rapid-fire action, and a captivating plot. It also bears striking resemblances to the gritty intensity of La Femme Nikita and Léon: The Professional, while the cinematography evokes the vivid palette found in The Fifth Element and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

After a significant gap since his last major success in 2014 with “Lucy” featuring Scarlett Johansson, as well as the “Taken” and “Transporter” series, it seems that Besson might be getting back to his old form as a director. His latest works, “DogMan” (2023) and “Anna” (2019), didn’t fare too well at the box office or with critics, but they managed to secure 83% and 81% positive ratings from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes respectively.

The producers explained what it meant to the director:

[June and John‘s work] marks a return to his original artistic foundations, adopting a straightforward, personal, and economical filmmaking approach similar to his early days. [The movie] encapsulates the ingenuity and fervor that characterized his start as a young filmmaker, embodying the essence of creativity born out of necessity. This leads to a visually captivating and emotionally profound experience.

In 2017, the film “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” known for its grand ambition and contentious nature, was expected to be Luc Besson’s epic masterpiece in science fiction. Regrettably, it turned out to be a significant box office flop, grossing a total of $225 million worldwide. Despite this, it managed to earn only $41.1 million in North America. Given its production budget, which was reportedly $177 million, the film was deemed unsuccessful. Currently, it has 47% approval from critics and 53% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Interestingly, plans for a trilogy were abandoned, even though a script had been written.

Besides June and John, Besson is collaborating with Snoop Dogg on another science fiction movie titled “The Last Man.” Details about the storyline are being kept secret, but it’s set in a world post-apocalyptic event. Furthermore, he’s also developing a new vampire film entitled “Dracula: A Love Story,” which features Caleb Landry Jones, who was previously seen in the movie “DogMan.

‘June and John’ boasts a dedicated network of distributors who plan to launch it during the spring season of 2025. At this point, there is no specified official release date confirmed yet.

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2025-02-12 22:32