Principle photography has commenced on the Luc Besson written and directed film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. The movie stars Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne, and is slated for release July 21, 2017. Luc Besson based his screenplay on the French science fiction comic series "Valerian and Laureline" created by artist Jean-Claude Mézières and writer Pierre Christin.

Also starring in the film is Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, Herbie Hancock and Yifan Wu. The story follows Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne), two special operatives for the government of the human territories charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. Virginie Besson-Silla is producing the film on behalf of EuropaCorp, while Fundamental Films, BNP Paribas, Orange, Universum Film, Gulf Film, River Road Entertainment, Belga Films and TF1 Films Production are the main co-financiers of the movie.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets begins production January 5, 2016 in Paris. Earlier this week, Cara Delevingne took to her Instagram page to share the first set photo. We also saw a behind-the-scenes photo with the actress alongside her co-star Dane DeHaan, which came from Luc Besson's own Instagram page.

In the movie, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are exploring Syrte, capital planet of a system of 1,000 worlds. Their mission is to discover whether the Syrtians could present a danger to Earth. What they find is a decaying empire led by decadent aristocrats, a population ripe for revolution, and a mysterious caste of masked wise men who discreetly pull the strings from hidden fortresses. Swept up by the winds of history, the agents of Earth will have to choose a side.

Luc Besson is directing from his own adapted screenplay, with a July 21, 2017 release date already in place. The project will be going up against Christopher Nolan's new World War II action thriller Dunkirk, and an unspecified animated project from 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation. The comic series upon which the movie is based debuted in 1967, and has since sold over 10 million copies in 21 languages. The project will be the most ambitious and expensive ever produced by Luc Besson's EuropaCorp, but specific budget details have not been revealed. The director has shared two more new photos from set.