Luc Besson
Admired in the U.S. as an ersatz French Steven Spielberg and reviled by his home country's critical elite as the man who ruined Franco cinema, writer-director-producer Luc Besson was inarguably one of the most commercially successful and prolific filmmakers ever to emerge from Europe. After establishing the slick, visual aesthetic known as "Cinéma du look" with early efforts like "Subway" (1985), "The Big Blue" (1988) and "La Femme Nikita" (1990), Besson officially crossed over to Hollywood with the films "The Professional" (1994) and "The Fifth Element" (1997). Following the disappointment of his historical epic "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" (1999), he returned - usually as a writer-producer - to stories featuring hard luck heroes and spectacular chase sequences in genre movies like "Kiss of the Dragon" (2001), "The Transporter" (2002) and "Unleashed" (2005). Amongst the numerous writing and producing projects, Besson occasionally directed more personal films, among them the low-budget fantasy-romance "Angel-A" (2005) and the family adventure "Arthur and the Invisibles" (2006), based on a series of books authored by Besson himself. Even as he neared the 30-year mark in his career, Besson continued to rack up impressive writer-producer credits on such international smash hits as "Taken" (2008). A self professed purveyor of populist entertainment, Besson's strongest response to his detractors was his lengthy career - one that allowed him the freedom to produce precisely the films he wanted to make.
Photos
Luc Besson
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Weekend in Taipei |
Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 2024 |
59% |
|
DogMan |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 2023 |
No Score Yet |
|
Arthur Malediction |
Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 2022 |
34% |
|
Anna |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
$7.7M | 2019 |
0% |
|
Taxi 5 | Producer | - | 2018 |
11% |
|
Renegades |
Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 2017 |
47% |
|
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
$40.4M | 2017 |
44% |
|
The Warrior's Gate |
Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 2016 |
16% |
|
The Transporter Refueled |
Screenwriter, Producer |
$16.0M | 2015 |
13% |
|
Taken 3 |
Screenwriter, Producer |
$89.3M | 2014 |
81% |
|
The Homesman | Producer | $2.4M | 2014 |
67% |
|
Lucy |
Director, Screenwriter |
$126.5M | 2014 |
25% |
|
Brick Mansions |
Screenwriter, Producer |
$20.4M | 2014 |
27% |
|
3 Days to Kill | Screenwriter | $30.7M | 2014 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Boy With the Cuckoo-Clock Heart | Producer | - | 2013 |
83% |
|
The Boy With the Cuckoo-Clock Heart | Producer | - | 2013 |
28% |
|
The Family |
Director, Screenwriter |
$114.5K | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
(Almost) Charming |
Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Blind Man | Producer | - | 2012 |
22% |
|
Taken 2 |
Screenwriter, Producer |
$139.9M | 2012 |
38% |
|
Lockout |
Screenwriter, Executive Producer |
$14.3M | 2012 |
86% |
|
A Monster in Paris | Producer | - | 2011 |
37% |
|
The Lady | Director | - | 2011 |
28% |
|
Colombiana |
Screenwriter, Producer |
$36.7M | 2011 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Monster in Paris 3D | Producer | - | 2011 |
88% |
|
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec | Director | - | 2010 |
20% |
|
Arthur and the Two Worlds War |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 2010 |
46% |
|
22 Bullets | Producer | - | 2010 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Arthur and the Two Worlds War |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 2010 |
0% |
|
Arthur and the Great Adventure |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 2009 |
71% |
|
I Love You Phillip Morris | Executive Producer | $2.0M | 2009 |
75% |
|
District 13: Ultimatum |
Screenwriter, Producer, Writer |
$36.0K | 2009 |
25% |
|
Staten Island | Producer | - | 2009 |
17% |
|
Home | Producer | - | 2009 |
14% |
|
Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard |
Director, Producer, Screenwriter |
- | 2009 |
60% |
|
Taken |
Screenwriter, Producer |
$145.0M | 2008 |
40% |
|
Transporter 3 |
Screenwriter, Producer |
$31.3M | 2008 |
No Score Yet |
|
Taxi 4 |
Writer, Producer |
- | 2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | My Very Best Friend | Executive Producer | - | 2007 |
20% |
|
Love and Other Disasters | Executive Producer | - | 2006 |
22% |
|
Arthur and the Invisibles |
Director, Writer, Producer |
$15.1M | 2006 |
56% |
|
Bandidas |
Writer, Producer |
- | 2006 |
13% |
|
Revolver | Producer | $75.4K | 2005 |
47% |
|
Angel-A |
Director, Writer, Producer |
$202.2K | 2005 |
51% |
|
Color Me Kubrick | Executive Producer | $70.7K | 2005 |
84% |
|
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada | Producer | $5.0M | 2005 |
52% |
|
Transporter 2 |
Producer, Writer |
$43.1M | 2005 |
66% |
|
Unleashed |
Writer, Producer |
$24.5M | 2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bunker Paradise | Producer | - | 2005 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Crimson Rivers II: The Angels of the Apocalypse | Writer | - | 2004 |
82% |
|
District B13 |
Writer, Producer |
$1.2M | 2004 |
9% |
|
Taxi |
Writer, Producer |
$36.6M | 2004 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ze film | Co-Producer | - | 2004 |
85% |
|
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior | Executive Producer | $4.6M | 2003 |
No Score Yet |
|
Les Côtelettes | Producer | - | 2003 |
40% |
|
Switchblade Romance | Producer | $3.6M | 2003 |
No Score Yet |
|
Taxi 3 |
Producer, Writer |
- | 2003 |
14% |
|
Fanfan la Tulipe |
Producer, Writer |
$28.4K | 2003 |
No Score Yet |
|
Michel Vaillant | Writer | - | 2003 |
54% |
|
The Transporter |
Writer, Producer |
$25.3M | 2002 |
56% |
|
Chaos and Desire | Producer | - | 2002 |
44% |
|
Wasabi |
Writer, Producer |
$81.5K | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
August 15th | Producer | - | 2001 |
53% |
|
Kiss of the Dragon |
Producer, Writer |
$36.8M | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
Yamakasi |
Screenwriter, Writer, Producer |
$184.4K | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Dancer |
Writer, Producer |
- | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
|
Taxi 2 |
Screenwriter, Producer |
$729.8K | 2000 |
85% |
|
Billy Elliot | Producer | $22.0M | 2000 |
31% |
|
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc |
Director, Writer |
$14.3M | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
Taxi |
Screenwriter, Producer |
$138.5K | 1998 |
71% |
|
The Fifth Element |
Director, Writer |
$63.7M | 1997 |
78% |
|
Nil by Mouth | Producer | $268.9K | 1997 |
75% |
|
The Professional |
Director, Screenwriter |
$19.0M | 1994 |
52% |
|
Point of No Return | Writer | $27.5M | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sirga | Executive Producer | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Atlantis |
Director, Co-Producer, Cinematographer, Film Editing |
- | 1991 |
No Score Yet |
|
Lune froide | Executive Producer | - | 1991 |
90% |
|
La Femme Nikita |
Director, Writer, Co-Producer |
$5.0M | 1990 |
62% |
|
The Big Blue |
Director, Writer, Writer |
$2.9M | 1988 |
67% |
|
Subway | Director | - | 1985 |
71% |
|
Le Dernier Combat |
Director, Screenwriter, Producer |
- | 1983 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
32% | 63% | Taken | Executive Producer | 2017-2018 |
83% | 85% | James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction | Guest | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tavis Smiley | Guest | 2017 |