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The Fifth Element was released 29 years ago today! This is probably THE film that I discovered, thanks to this account, is very popular. Way more than I expected.

btw

The Fifth Element is really popular. Okay, let's start a thread. 🚨 Note: no one forgets Luc Besson's behavior, but this thread is about the creation of this film (whose script bears the mark of its creator, in fantastic and/or bad ways).

Diva Plavalaguna was played by Maïwenn Le Besco. Albanian opera lyrical soprano Inva Mula lent her incredible voice to the character. Eric Serra would then arrange the song with his sampler. The non-frontal shots were filmed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London).

Luc Besson began to imagine this story in the 1970s. It should be noted that this film had a first life in 1991-1992, when Jean "Moebius" Giraud, Jean-Claude Mézières, Patrice Garcia, and more fantastic artists started to draw this universe. Diva Plavalaguna, early design by Jean-Claude Mézières:

The project was stopped in 1992 for budget reasons. It was only after the success of Leon: The Professional (1994), and the unexpected arrival of Bruce Willis that the film was made. The first version of this movie will be the subject of one of my next articles on my Patreon. Research done.

Mézières: "If some drawings did not find their use (...), some received a luxury treatment: this gouache showing a general view of his New York of the XXIIIth century had pleased Luc Besson who said to me: "That, you can be sure, you will see it on the screen."

You know I have a very long piece on this kind of secrets, right?

The American poster is amusing because it makes the transport ships look like Star Wars starfighters. More importantly, there is only one in the film. :)

I still have this French teaser poster (160cm x 120cm).