Luc Besson

Luc Besson is a French film director, screenwriter, and producer born in Paris on 18 March 1959.

Luc Besson is a French film director, screenwriter, and producer born in Paris on 18 March 1959. He is associated with the Cinéma du look movement and is known for commercially successful films including The Fifth Element, Léon: The Professional, Lucy, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. His career spans from 1979 to the present, with recent directing credits including Dracula.

Early life and career

Luc Besson was born in Paris in 1959. He became known for visually stylized films in the 1980s and 1990s, and his early work helped establish his reputation in both French and international cinema. His early internationally noted films include Subway and The Big Blue.

Film style and movement

Besson is commonly linked to Cinéma du look, a movement associated with visual spectacle, bold style, and youth-focused stories. His films often combine action, science fiction, and high production values.

Major films

His best-known films include Subway, The Big Blue, Nikita, Léon: The Professional, The Fifth Element, Lucy, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. He wrote and directed Lucy and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and directed Dracula, released in France in 2025 and in U.S. cinemas in 2026.

Awards and recognition

Besson won the César Award for Best Director and the Lumière Award for Best Director for The Fifth Element. He has also received additional César nominations for Léon: The Professional and The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.