The big picture
- Luc Besson's eclectic filmography includes hits like
The fifth element
and miss like
Valeriana and the city of a thousand planets. -
The Incal
the creators sued Besson over similarities
The fifth element
but the case was dismissed. - Taika Waititi will adapt
The Incal
a comic hailed as a sci-fi masterpiece, in a movie.
Luc Bessonhe has a quite unique filmography. While some of the films he has written and/or directed, incl The Professional i preythey have become staples of pop culture, of other films especially Valeriana and the city of a thousand planets – It is better to throw it away and leave it in the dustbin of history. Among his works, many consider Besson's greatest achievement to be The fifth elementstarring Bruce Willis as a soldier turned taxi driver who ends up protecting a mysterious girl (Milla Jojovich) which is literally the key to preventing a dark force from engulfing the universe. The fifth element it offered a universe unlike anything else in science fiction at the time, both in terms of visual appeal and lore. It also had some excellent performances, as Willis gives equal parts heart and sarcasm to his cosmic taxi driver Korben Dallas, while Jojovich's Leeloo goes through a gauntlet of emotions. The fifth element ended up landing Besson in hot water when he was sued for reasons which bore more than a passing resemblance Alexander Jodorowsky i Jean 'Moebius' Giraudinnovative graphic novel The Incal.
What is 'The Incal' about?
The Incal was born out of Jodorowsky's failed attempt at adaptation dune on the big screen; had hired Moebius as one of the storyboard artists, then began working with him The Incal. The Incal tells the story of John Difool, a private investigator who comes into possession of an extremely powerful crystal called Incal of Light. Difool ends up on a mad dash to keep the Light Incal away from various warring factions, aided by an eclectic group of companions, including his faithful concrete seagull, Deepo. The Incal and its sequels Before the Incal (illustrated by Zoran Janjetov) i final call (illustrated by Jose Ladronn) are considered some of the best stories in the comic book industry; Rolling Stone even ranked it on their “50 Best Non-Superhero Graphic Novels” list of 2019. It's not hard to see why; Jodorwsky's script dealt with a number of themes filtered through a sci-fi lens, including discovering one's place in life, while Moebius' artwork is a visual spectacle that practically demands to be seen in person.
Along the years, many attempts at adaptation have been made The Incal in film form. Nicolas Winding Refn he was rumored to be in the lead for an adaptation in 2014, but later scrapped it in 2016. There was also a crack at an animated version that never made it to the big screen. In 2021, The Incal publisher The Associated Humanoids (or Humanoids) announced it Taika Waititi would be co-writing and directing an adaptation of The Incal; Jodorwsky later confirmed the news on Twitter. Considering Waititi's screen adaptation comics before with Thor: Ragnarok i Thor: Love and Thunderwithout forgetting works like Jojo Rabbit who combined his unconventional sense of humor with heavy subjects, The Incal he felt it suited his sensibilities perfectly.
Luc Besson was sued for “The Fifth Element” and won
Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius ended up suing Bessonbecause they think he lifted visual and plot details wholesale from The Incal when preparing The fifth element. Like Difool, Korben is a down-on-his-luck regular Joe who ends up thrust into a galaxy-spanning quest. There is a mystical element at play; The Incal has a crystal, while The fifth element he chooses to make his “element” take human form. Ultimately, the case was dismissed due to the fact that The fifth element he only used “small fragments” of The Incalthe story of, rather than copying it wholesale. There is also the fact that Moebius had contributed to conceptual art The fifth element while in production and several films, incl Blade Runner i the matrix they have used their visual style. With that in mind, it's not surprising The fifth element it would also be similarly inspired by Moebius's work.
The Incal The case was not the only time Besson went to court. When he arrived The fifth element, Besson sued advertising agency Publicis and mobile phone company SFR for using an ad featuring a mysterious red-haired woman.played by none other than Jojovich, and argued that the ad was “parasitic” and could “hinder the film”. Similar to the Incal case, John Carpenter would successfully win a court case against Besson in 2012, when he pointed out how Besson's action thriller blocking quite removed from Escape to New York. More recently, Besson also went to court on more serious matters of sexual assault, but was acquitted of the charges.
The fifth element is available to stream on Hulu in the US
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