Luc Besson’s new sci-fi movie “ Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” has had its European premiere in London. With a budget of over €150 million ($180), it’s one of the most expensive indie films ever made, and certainly the most expensive French film. <br /><br />But the movie, which stars Cara Delevingne, Dane DeHaan and Rihanna, earned only €14.5 million ($17 million) at its opening week end in the US, with EuropaCorp, Beson’s production company, closing down 8.31 percent Monday in trading on France’s Bourse.<br /><br />The financial pressure for EuropaCorp is high; last year it had a string of box office flops and recently announced a reported annual loss of €120 ($136 million.) <br /><br />But Luc Besson is so far not disappointed by the box office results. “We’re number one in five countries already,” he said, “so – it’s definitely not an American film. There’s no superhero, no (inaudible) so I’m not very surprised.” <br /><br />While EuropaCorp’s exposure on Valerian is somewhat limited, as the film was largely financed by presales in 120 countries, it still doesn’t bode well for the long-term strength of the company.<br /><br />In the past Besson’s sci-fi movies like The Fifth Element and Lucy were huge commercial successes. <br /><br />‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ is released across Europe this week.<br />
