SPIL GAMES TO CREATE NEW GAME FOR LUC BESSON'S VALERIAN

Luc Besson’s film studio, Europacorp, has selected Spil Games to create their official mobile and web game for their new sci-fi adventure, 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets', the director’s upcoming $180 million sci-fi movie, starring Ethan Hawke, Clive Owen, Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, John Goodman, and the singer, Rihanna.





Currently in post-production, the film will be released globally in July, 2017, and EuropaCorp has asked Spil Games to develop a strategy game in parallel with that process, ready for launch a few weeks before the final release. It's vital that the quality and creativity of the game match that of a Triple A Hollywood property like Valerian, taking into account that the long-term partnership with EuropaCorp also relies on Spil Games’ proven experience in creating and monetizing multi-million-dollar game franchises. The company’s ability to engage with an international audience of more than 120 million gamers will be the key to the game's commercial success, also opening up cross-marketing opportunities for the entire project.

In an interview he recently gave to the press, Tung Nguyen-Khac, the CEO of Spil Games, said, “People are talking about this film as though it's the spiritual successor to Luc's 1995 sci-fi hit, 'The Fifth Element', implying that it’s going to be huge. We're all so excited and honored to be making the game for Luc, and I believe we can really intensify the audience experience around the themes and ideas within the movie”.

Engaging an audience in a genuinely immersive game is increasingly important in the movie business. It’s no longer enough to make a game that just mimics the movie, but it also has to be cool and fun to play in its own right. The producers who run the 'New Hollywood' now understand that a game which captivates its audience can massively amplify a movie brand and longevity, factoring in Luc Besson’s screen credits that include such films as The Big Blue, The Fifth Element, Léon: The Professional, and Lucy, where as Spil Games have published and produced apps with 100 million mobile installs since July, 2015, including some for the multi-million dollar Taken and Transporter franchises.

Now for those of you not in the know, 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' is a re-imagining of the hugely popular French comic book series, Valérian and Laureline, created by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres in 1967. Since he was nearly ten years old Luc Besson has dreamed of bringing Valerian to life, and now, well, now he has, with a little help from a production budget that's heavy enough to sink the Titanic. Here, check out this clip for a glimpse of what is yet to come.