While much of the focus rests on superheroes when comic book movies are adapted, there have been a lot of other great graphic novels brought to life on the big screen over the years. There's no denying, however, the the success of Marvel's films and other superhero projects has helped indie titles and more obscure books come to life in Hollywood. Case in point: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Based on the acclaimed science-fiction series, the movie won't be your typical comic movie. Instead, it'll be part of a new breed of sci-fi films that have been making a resurgence at the box office lately.

That's the hope at least, as Valerian will have a bit of an uphill battle thanks to its lack of recognition and plenty of blockbuster competition this year. Still, director Luc Besson is well regarded for The Fifth Element, and recently hit it big with Lucy. Add in the star power of Cara Delevingne, fresh off of appearing in Suicide Squad, and the movie could be a huge success. With the second trailer for the film apparently coming this week, fans should get a better idea of the plot of the film. For now, though, they'll have to get by on little bits of marketing.

In an effort to promote the strange new world of the film, Collider were given a look at one of the many fantastical beings from Valerian, the Azin Mö, along with a description. Check it out below:

"The Azin Mö are the medical doctors of Alpha, the city of a thousand planets, intergalactically famous for their extraordinary materialization abilities and immortal nature. They can produce any organic cell and so have the gift of spontaneous regeneration. They also have the ability to “teleport”, but they require several days to recover from each trip, during which time they are physically and mentally feeble, which makes them paradoxically vulnerable. Over the centuries, they have been a favorite target of mercenaries and space pirates seeking to usurp the species’ powers."

The Azin Mö are just one group of interesting creatures and aliens fans will meet in the new film. Marketing for Valerian recently revealed one of the alien ambassadors of the film highlighted, showing just how vast this world is. Besson stated today that he's got ideas for at least two sequels, and it's not hard to imagine. Between the source material from the comics and what's been presented so far from looks to be an exciting and expansive world full of many opportunities to grow a franchise.

While similar projects like Jupiter Ascending failed to become hits, Besson's track record may just be enough to help this film come out ahead. There's also the strong chance that the movie will perform well internationally, something that's kept the Resident Evil franchise alive longer than anyone would have imagined. We'll likely know a lot more about Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets by week's end, so stay tuned.

Next: Valerian Isn’t A Comic Book Movie Like Amazing Spider-Man 2

Source: Collider

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