Luc Besson spent a lot of time producing other projects and not directing, so he knows how to put together an irresistible package of actors with international appeal.
He’s already got Dane DeHaan and Cara Delavigne heading up a cast that includes Clive Owen and Rihanna (whose casting reminds me of his pick of striking-looking, relatively green Milla Jovovich for FIFTH ELEMENT). On Saturday, he announced this talent as part of his cast:
Then today, The Wrap reported that John Goodman was close to signing on to lend his voice to an extra-terrestrial character in the film.
Needless to say, having Hawke and Goodman in the film can only be a good thing, as they’ve been reliable assets since they started working in film. They’re both high-pedigree actors who can nonetheless verge into genre territory when they feel like it without sacrificing their relatability and charm; John Goodman killed it in his supporting roles in ARACHNOPHOBIA and DEATH SENTENCE, in particular, while Hawke has had solid success leading up recent horror flicks like SINISTER, THE PURGE, and DAYBREAKERS. We’ll only be getting Goodman’s voice, but wasn’t that plenty in the MONSTERS movies and PARANORMAN?
Like many of you, I’m excited as hell for Besson to direct his first full-fledged sci-fi extravaganza since the eternally entertaining FIFTH ELEMENT, and while his cast isn’t quite on the “Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker, Ian Holm, and Brion James” level yet, it’s not too far off.
VALERIAN will hopefully not put you to sleep on July 21st, 2017.
