By: Kristy Puchko

Earlier this month, dizzy from the demented delights of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, we here at Cinema Blend speculated on which directors could do well by revisiting the themes and worlds of their earlier works. My pick was Luc Besson—specifically wishing he’d go back to sci-fi, where he spun the fantastic tale The Fifth Element. And it seems dreams do come true as Variety reports Besson is in the works on a sci-fi adventure about a space and time traveling special agent.

The presently untitled thriller is based on the Gallic comic book series Valerian, so it’s not a direct expansion on the world of The Fifth Element, but from a look at the artwork of the books—seen above—it’s not far off. The comics center on the titular hero who is described by Booklist as “A little bit Dr. [sic] Who, a little bit James Bond.” With the help of his sassy sidekick, Laureline, Valerian takes on missions from the Galaxity organization, traveling through space and time in incredible adventures. So it sounds like a perfect fit for Besson’s imaginative brand of storytelling.

It’s unknown at this time what arc of Valerian Besson is focusing on, but we do know he will write and direct the adaptation, and that it will be in English and live-action. While that project develops, Besson is prepping for the August shoot of his next feature, a crime-thriller called Malavita, which stars Robert De Niro as an American gangster attempting to relocate his family to Normandy under the Witness Relocation Program. Following that, Besson will team up with Hollywood’s go-to leading lady for all things action, Angelina Jolie, for an untitled action-thriller that’s set to shoot early next year.

Source: Cinema Blend