Within the realm of summer blockbusters, Luc Besson's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is nothing less than an oddity (in the best possible way). An adaptation of the iconic graphic novel series, the film is the sort of full-blown, off-kilter science fiction extravaganza that we seldom see on the big screen anymore. One of the most interesting visual components of the upcoming film is Rihanna's alien stripper Bubble, and a new behind-the-scenes video has just hit the web showing the amount of work required to make the character come to life. Take a look at the clip below to see her bizarre and magnetic character for yourself.
One of the most interesting things to note about Bubble is that the character legitimately seems like a role that could easily allow Rihanna to break out on the silver screen in a major way. Of course, the pop star is no stranger to the world of acting (having appeared in Peter Berg's Battleship, as well as in Bates Motel as iconic slasher victim Marion Crane) but she has yet to find a role that has allowed her to shine on the silver screen. By combining her real life grace and charisma with a character who is (quite literally) out of this world, Luc Besson seems to have crafted a role that perfectly capitalizes on her many talents. Now we seriously cannot wait to see her in action when the film finally debuts on the big screen later this month.
Another significant aspect of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets revealed by that video is the sheer amount of hard work that The Fifth Element director and Rihanna have put into the project's visual effects. Bubble has the ability to change her physical form and alter her appearance in a variety of different and exotic ways throughout the Valerian story, so (despite how seamless it looks on the screen) quite a bit of effort was put into the process of making everything look as realistic as possible. The techniques used in these sequences ranged from putting the beloved pop star in full hair and makeup to making her wear a full body mo-cap suit to recreate her alien appearance digitally. In the end, the hard work appears to pay off, as Bubble looks like one of the coolest effects in the entire film -- which is seriously saying something.
Check out a full trailer for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets below for an even closer look at Luc Besson's upcoming sci-fi epic in action!
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets will debut in theaters later this month on July 21. If you are excited about the upcoming science fiction blockbuster, let us know in the comments below.
