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Luc Besson

Luc Besson

Highest Rated: 90% La Femme Nikita (1990)

Lowest Rated: 0% Taxi 5 (2018)

Birthday: Mar 18, 1959

Birthplace: Paris, France

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 Luc Besson at arrivals for VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS Premiere, TCL Chinese Theatre (formerly Grauman''s), Los Angeles, CA July 17, 2017. Photo By: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection Luc Besson at arrivals for THE LADY Gala Screening at AFI FEST, Grauman''s Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA November 4, 2011. Photo By: Dee Cercone/Everett Collection Michelle Yeoh, Luc Besson at arrivals for THE LADY Gala Screening at AFI FEST, Grauman''s Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, CA November 4, 2011. Photo By: Emiley Schweich/Everett Collection LUCY, director Luc Besson, on set, 2014. ph: Jessica Forde/©Universal Pictures LUCY, director Luc Besson (center), on set, 2014. ph: Jessica Forde/©Universal Pictures LUCY, director Luc Besson (back left), Scarlett Johansson (right), on set, 2014. ph: Jessica Forde/©Universal Pictures THE FAMILY, center: Luc Besson, right: Michelle Pfeiffer on set, 2013, ph: Jessica Forde/©Relativity Media THE FAMILY, from left: Tommy Lee Jones, director Luc Besson, Robert DeNiro, on set, 2013. ph: Jessica Forde/©Relativity Media THE LADY, director Luc Besson, on set, 2011. ph: Vincent Perez/©Cohen Media Group THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC, director Luc Besson, on set, 1999.(c) Columbia LES AVENTURES EXTRAORDINAIRES D'ADELE BLANC-SEC, (aka THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ADELE BLANC-SEC), from left: costume designer Olivier Beriot, Louise Bourgoin, director Luc Besson, on set, 2010. ph: Magali Bragard/©EuropaCorp. Distribution THE FAMILY, l-r: Tommy Lee Jones, director Luc Besson, Robert DeNiro on set, 2013, ph: Jessica Forde/©Relativity Media
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
57% 82% DogMan Director,
Screenwriter 		- 2023
No Score Yet 22% Arthur Malediction Screenwriter,
Producer 		- 2022
34% 81% Anna Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer 		$7.7M 2019
0% 26% Taxi 5 Producer - 2018
11% 40% Renegades Screenwriter,
Producer 		- 2017
47% 53% Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer 		$40.4M 2017
44% 28% The Warrior's Gate Screenwriter,
Producer 		- 2016
15% 30% The Transporter Refueled Screenwriter,
Producer 		$16.0M 2015
13% 43% Taken 3 Screenwriter,
Producer 		$89.3M 2014
81% 53% The Homesman Producer $2.4M 2014
67% 47% Lucy Director,
Screenwriter 		$126.5M 2014
24% 47% Brick Mansions Screenwriter,
Producer 		$20.4M 2014
28% 43% 3 Days to Kill Screenwriter $30.7M 2014
No Score Yet 68% The Boy With the Cuckoo-Clock Heart Producer - 2013
77% 67% The Boy With the Cuckoo-Clock Heart Producer - 2013
27% 41% The Family Director,
Screenwriter 		$114.5K 2013
No Score Yet 41% (Almost) Charming Screenwriter,
Producer 		- 2013
No Score Yet 28% A Blind Man Producer - 2012
22% 52% Taken 2 Screenwriter,
Producer 		$139.9M 2012
38% 46% Lockout Screenwriter,
Executive Producer 		$14.3M 2012
86% 65% A Monster in Paris Producer - 2011
36% 62% The Lady Director - 2011
28% 67% Colombiana Screenwriter,
Producer 		$36.7M 2011
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Monster in Paris 3D Producer - 2011
85% 54% The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec Director,
Screenwriter,
Writer 		- 2010
20% 42% Arthur and the Two Worlds War Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer 		- 2010
46% 55% 22 Bullets Producer - 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet Arthur and the Two Worlds War Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer 		- 2010
0% 32% Arthur and the Great Adventure Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer 		- 2009
71% 61% I Love You Phillip Morris Executive Producer $2.0M 2009
75% 55% District 13: Ultimatum Screenwriter,
Producer,
Writer 		$36.0K 2009
25% 28% Staten Island Producer - 2009
17% 87% Home Producer - 2009
14% 64% Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard Director,
Producer,
Screenwriter 		- 2009
60% 85% Taken Screenwriter,
Producer 		$145.0M 2008
40% 48% Transporter 3 Screenwriter,
Producer 		$31.3M 2008
No Score Yet 42% Taxi 4 Writer,
Producer 		- 2007
No Score Yet No Score Yet My Very Best Friend Executive Producer - 2007
20% 57% Love and Other Disasters Executive Producer - 2006
22% 56% Arthur and the Invisibles Director,
Writer,
Producer 		$15.1M 2006
56% 43% Bandidas Writer,
Producer 		- 2006
15% 56% Revolver Producer $75.4K 2005
46% 74% Angel-A Director,
Writer,
Producer 		$202.2K 2005
51% 42% Color Me Kubrick Executive Producer $70.7K 2005
85% 81% The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Producer $5.0M 2005
52% 58% Transporter 2 Producer,
Writer 		$43.1M 2005
66% 75% Unleashed Writer,
Producer 		$24.5M 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bunker Paradise Producer - 2005
No Score Yet 45% The Crimson Rivers II: The Angels of the Apocalypse Writer - 2004
80% 78% District B13 Writer,
Producer 		$1.2M 2004
9% 43% Taxi Writer,
Producer 		$36.6M 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet Ze film Co-Producer - 2004
85% 84% Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior Executive Producer $4.6M 2003
No Score Yet 43% Les Côtelettes Producer - 2003
41% 67% Switchblade Romance Producer $3.6M 2003
No Score Yet 51% Taxi 3 Producer,
Writer 		- 2003
14% 43% Fanfan la Tulipe Producer,
Writer 		$28.4K 2003
No Score Yet 46% Michel Vaillant Writer - 2003
54% 73% The Transporter Writer,
Producer 		$25.3M 2002
56% 69% Chaos and Desire Producer - 2002
43% 69% Wasabi Writer,
Producer 		$81.5K 2001
No Score Yet 44% August 15th Producer - 2001
52% 68% Kiss of the Dragon Producer,
Writer 		$36.8M 2001
No Score Yet 67% Yamakasi Screenwriter,
Writer,
Producer 		$184.4K 2001
No Score Yet 68% The Dancer Writer,
Producer 		- 2000
No Score Yet 70% Taxi 2 Screenwriter,
Producer 		$729.8K 2000
85% 89% Billy Elliot Producer $22.0M 2000
32% 58% The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc Director,
Writer 		$14.3M 1999
No Score Yet 81% Taxi Screenwriter,
Producer 		$138.5K 1998
71% 86% The Fifth Element Director,
Writer 		$63.7M 1997
77% 87% Nil by Mouth Producer $268.9K 1997
75% 95% The Professional Director,
Screenwriter 		$19.0M 1994
52% 50% Point of No Return Writer $27.5M 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sirga Executive Producer - 1993
No Score Yet 75% Atlantis Director,
Co-Producer,
Cinematographer,
Film Editing 		- 1991
No Score Yet 100% Lune froide Executive Producer - 1991
90% 84% La Femme Nikita Director,
Writer,
Co-Producer 		$5.0M 1990
62% 93% The Big Blue Director,
Writer,
Writer 		$2.9M 1988
67% 75% Subway Director - 1985
71% 68% 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