Exclusive: The Fifth Element 2 In Development
Our sources tell us a sequel to the beloved The Fifth Element is being developed!
Are we going to need Milla Jovovich’s Leeloo to once again flash her “moolti-pass” in order to stop the great approaching evil? It sure sounds like it. Our trusted and proven sources have reached out to let us know that The Fifth Element 2, a sequel to Luc Besson‘s beloved 1997 sci-fi hit, is currently in development.
It’s an interesting time to revive the decades-old intellectual property considering recent news. While yes, revivals and reboots are all the rage these days, 2022 has seen multiple developments that would make the returns of almost all of the major stars from the original film impossible for The Fifth Element 2. This month alone Gary Oldman–who played chief antagonist Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg in The Fifth Element–announced he hopes to retire soon; possibly after concluding the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses.
Earlier this year the family of superstar Bruce Willis–who played the protagonist Korben Dallas in the first film–reported he was retiring from acting due to worsening health issues, including aphasia. The Oscar-nominated Ian Holm, who played the priest Vito Cornelius, sadly passed away in 2020 and Luke Perry died of a stroke a year earlier. Not to mention that–considering he’s become a much more controversial figure since 1997–it would seem unlikely that the original film’s director and co-writer Luc Besson would be asked back to helm The Fifth Element 2.
So of all the big names left to reprise their roles in a follow-up, only two remain. There is of course Milla Jovovich who played the prophetic hero Leeloo who is still making movies and in fact will soon be starring in another sci-fi action flick called Breathe. Chris Tucker could also reprise his role, as the over-the-top celebrity Ruby Rhod, in The Fifth Element 2.
Actually, it’s possible this news has something to do with another, completely unrelated project. In early 2018, Variety reported that Jovovich had been cast to replace Olivia Munn in the upcoming action thriller Hummingbird, which Tucker is also attached to. It’s nothing but pure speculation, but perhaps Jovovich and Tucker re-uniting for another project is what got things rolling to get The Fifth Element 2 in development.
Honestly, with all the dormant intellectual properties being re-awakened in the hopes of finding new fans, the biggest surprise is that it’s taken this long for The Fifth Element 2 to find itself in development. With sci-fi franchises like Star Wars, Star Trek, Blade Runner, Alien, Quantum Leap, Predator, Jurassic Park, and more either already launching successful revivals or with similar revivals on the way; you could argue it was only a matter of time before we returned to Luc Besson’s wild world of hard-boiled cab drivers and crazy short cigarettes.
