Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Valerian and Laureline are elite field agents tasked with keeping order across human space. When they're sent to Alpha, a colossal, ever-expanding metropolis where countless species converge, they find a city teeming with commerce, secrets, and clashing interests. At Alpha's core a mysterious dark force jeopardizes the fragile balance that holds the City of a Thousand Planets together. As the pair digs into strange clues, alien cultures, and political gamesmanship, their partnership and skill set are put under strain. The mission turns into a fast-moving mix of action, oddball lifeforms, and high-stakes investigation, with the safety of Alpha and perhaps more at stake.

Directed by Luc Besson, Valerian adapts the classic French comic works by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières. Released in 2017, it features Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, and Ethan Hawke.

The film opened as a big-budget, effects-heavy summer release. Its scale and costs were widely discussed, and while it secured a global run, the financial returns and critical split meant it was viewed as an ambitious project that fell short of studio hopes.

Valerian left a visual imprint thanks to its dense worldbuilding and creature design, which many viewers still recall. Celebrity casting and bold costume choices, especially Rihanna's turn as the entertainer Bubble, drew mainstream attention and helped the movie register beyond traditional sci-fi fandom.

Critical reaction was mixed, with many reviewers praising the imagination and visual ambition while critiquing the script and pacing; audience scores similarly varied, reflected in its middling average rating. The movie circles themes of cultural exchange, the tensions of empire and stewardship, and the chemistry between two very different operatives trying to work as one under extreme pressure.