Luc Besson Says There Are 2,734 VFX Shots in ‘Valerian’

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets director Luc Besson has revealed that there are 2,734 vfx shots in the film, with only 100 not containing visual effects.

Besson’s note on Twitter coincided with the release of the film’s teaser trailer, which clearly demonstrates how integral vfx and animation are to the film:

Valerian is based on the French science fiction comics series Valérian and Laureline, written by Pierre Christin and illustrated by Jean-Claude Mézières. The principal vfx vendors include Industrial Light & Magic, Weta Digital, and Rodeo FX. The film is heavy on digital environments and creatures.

During production, Besson has been posting several on-set photos and behind-the-scenes images on his Twitter and Instagram accounts as the film takes shape.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets will be released in the United States on July 21, 2017.