Luc Besson filming epic sci-fi movie in Paris

French filmmaker Luc Besson has started shooting his epic sci-fi movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets on location in Paris.

Author: Nick Goundry

Published: 07 Jan 2016

French filmmaker Luc Besson has started shooting his epic sci-fi movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets on location in Paris.

The film is based on a French graphic novel, and with a budget of around €165m will be among the biggest movies ever produced in Europe.

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Besson’s movie did not initially qualify for filming incentive support as a French production because the director had made the decision to shoot in English. He threatened to instead film Valerian on location in Hungary, but the French government relented and changed the incentive qualification rules to cover films with large visual effects budgets.

One of France’s largest production facilities is the Cité du Cinema studio complex north of Paris. Supported by Besson, the facility offers nine sound stages and event halls.

As of January this year, France has also increased its filming incentive for international productions to a 30% rebate with a higher per-production cap of €30m.

Warner Bros has since announced that Christopher Nolan will film scenes from his upcoming feature Dunkirk on location in France. The shoot could have a major impact on France’s international production profile.

For more on filming France see our production guide.

Image: Jessica Forde/Universal Pictures

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