Luc Besson Calls Madonna a ‘Phenomenon,’ Admits He’s Developing Another ‘Crazy’ Sci-Fi Story: ‘You Will Need a Ticket — And an Aspirin’
At a masterclass during the Venice Film Festival, director Luc Besson revealed he is currently writing a new science-fiction project, describing it as so ambitious that audiences "will need a ticket and an aspirin". Besson, whose sci-fi credits include "The Fifth Element" and "Valerian", reflected on how filmmaking technology has evolved dramatically over his career and said he is not concerned by advances such as artificial intelligence, comparing it to a tool that a director must simply learn to control.
Besson also discussed "Father Joe", which he wrote and produced for Venice this year, starring Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino, as well as his recent film "Dracula: A Love Tale" with Caleb Landry Jones. He shared behind-the-scenes stories about earlier works including "Léon: The Professional" and a Madonna music video he shot for "Love Profusion", and briefly addressed past sexual assault allegations against him, of which he was cleared, saying filmmaking remains his life's purpose.
- Besson teases a new, more ambitious sci-fi project
- Says AI is just another filmmaking "tool," not a threat
- Discussed "Father Joe," "Dracula" and past films at Venice
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Luc Besson is a veteran French film-maker best known for stylish, big-budget action and science-fiction films such as "Léon: The Professional", "The Fifth Element" and "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets". He spoke at this year's Venice Film Festival, one of the world's leading annual celebrations of cinema, where directors often give talks or "masterclasses" about their work and career.
At the festival Besson discussed several projects, including "Father Joe", a new film he wrote and produced starring Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino, and "Dracula: A Love Tale", featuring Caleb Landry Jones. He also spoke about his long-running collaboration with the singer Madonna, for whom he directed a music video, and touched on changes in film-making technology over his career, including artificial intelligence.
Besson faced sexual assault allegations in the past, of which he was cleared by French authorities; this background is relevant because it was among the topics he addressed during the discussion. The wider significance of the story lies in what it reveals about a prominent director's ongoing creative output and his views on the future of film-making.