Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Opens July 21.

French filmmaker Luc Besson usually gets things done quickly. But it took him more than a decade of care and attention to realize his cinematic dream Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

The movie is based on the French comic books Valerian and Laureline by writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières. The series enthralled Besson as a child growing up in Paris. As a 58-yearold, he’s finally promoting the English language version of the sci-fi fantasy.

The Besson movie features Dane DeHaan as Valerian and Cara Delevingne as Laureline. They are a squabbling but in-love couple who are also space detectives assigned to uncover a lethal menace at the gigantic space station named City of a Thousand Planets. If they don’t find the device, it might destroy the city and maybe the universe.

But some of the city’s inhabitants — made up of separate spheres for humanoids, robots, methane aliens and marine extraterrestrials — aren’t in the mood to co-operate with the investigators.

Co-stars include Clive Owen, Ethan Hawke, Herbie Hancock, Rutger Hauer, Kris Wu and singer Rihanna, who stands out as a shape-shifting entertainer.

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