Luc Besson

24 films directed

Biography

Luc Besson (born March 18, 1959) is a French director, writer, and producer, known for making highly visual thriller and action films. Besson has received numerous awards and honors, and is often credited as inventing the so-called "Cinema du look" movement in French film. He is best known for directing the action films Léon: The Professional (1994), The Fifth Element (1997), and Lucy (2014), and also produced the Taken (2008–2014) and Transporter (2002–2015) franchises.

Born in Paris, Besson spent his childhood traveling Europe with his parents and developing an enthusiasm for ocean diving, before an accident would push him toward the world of cinema. After taking odd jobs in the Parisian film scene of the time, Besson began writing stories that would eventually evolve into some of his greatest film successes: The Fifth Element and Le Grand Bleu.

In 1980 he founded his own production company, Les Films du Loup later Les Films du Dauphin, and later still EuropaCorp film company with his longtime collaborator, Pierre-Ange Le Poga.

Most directed genres

Recurring actors

The career in numbers

US$ 852 mi Total budget from 17 film(s) with data
US$ 1.4 bi Total box office from 18 film(s) with data
US$ 50 mi Average budget from 17 film(s) with data
US$ 79 mi Average box office from 18 film(s) with data
6.7 Average rating from 21 film(s) with data
1.7× Return on investment from 16 film(s) with data

Budget and box office do not exist for every film in our records. Averages are computed over the films that carry the figure, and the count beside each one says how many.

Films directed

Film	Year	Budget	Box office	Rating
Dracula	2025	US$ 52 mi	US$ 42 mi	7.2
June and John	2025	—	US$ 252,785	6.1
Dogman	2023	—	US$ 4 mi	7.8
Anna	2019	US$ 34 mi	US$ 32 mi	6.7
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets	2017	US$ 177 mi	US$ 226 mi	6.7
Lucy	2014	US$ 40 mi	US$ 469 mi	6.5
The Family	2013	US$ 30 mi	US$ 37 mi	6.4
The Lady	2011	US$ 23 mi	US$ 8 mi	6.8
Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds	2010	US$ 70 mi	US$ 34 mi	5.8
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec	2010	US$ 25 mi	US$ 35 mi	6.3
Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard	2009	US$ 87 mi	US$ 52 mi	5.8
Arthur and the Invisibles	2006	US$ 86 mi	US$ 109 mi	6.4
Angel-A	2005	US$ 15 mi	US$ 10 mi	7.0
Mylene Farmer: Music Videos II & III	2001	—	—	7.9
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc	1999	US$ 85 mi	US$ 67 mi	6.4
The Fifth Element	1997	US$ 90 mi	US$ 264 mi	7.6
Léon: The Professional	1994	US$ 16 mi	US$ 20 mi	8.3
Atlantis	1991	—	—	6.3
Nikita	1990	US$ 6 mi	US$ 5 mi	7.1
The Big Blue	1988	US$ 14 mi	US$ 4 mi	7.4
Subway	1985	US$ 2 mi	—	6.5
The Last Battle	1983	—	—	6.4
The Penultimate	1981	—	—	4.6
The Last Man	—	—	—	—