Luc Besson has already shot his take on “Dracula” in Finland, and has seemingly set up his next film after that one. It’s a real doozy.
According to Variety, Snoop Dogg will star in Besson’s sci-fi “The Last Man.” Although plot details are being kept under wraps, the film is being described as “post-apocalyptic” and might be connected to Snoop’s 2009 song “Last Man Standing.” Filming is set to begin in early 2025.
“I’ve been a big fan of Snoop Dogg’s music ever since ‘Who Am I,'” Besson tells Variety. “We first met 20 years ago, and we’ve always wanted to work together again. We just needed the right project that would excite us both—and this is it, with Snoop in the lead role. I can’t wait to get started!”
Besson is known for his successful streak of ‘80s and ‘90s films such as “The Big Blue,” "La Femme Nikita," "Leon: The Professional," and "The Fifth Element.” He also wrote 2008’s highly influential “Taken,” which kickstarted a slew of one-man-killing-machine ripoffs such as “John Wick.”
I still stand by my unpopular take that his 2014 film, “Lucy,” is a strong one — a very underrated work from Besson and lead Scarlett Johansson, which also featured one of the boldest big studio climaxes of the last decade. Was it a great film? Maybe not, but it was immensely watchable.
Meanwhile, Besson’s last film, “Dogman,” premiered in competition at Venice 2023 and was released in the U.S. this year, earning $76k domestically, and $4M worldwide.
Besson, 65, has been embroiled in #MeToo controversies these last few years. However, he was exonerated in court twice, most recently in June 2023 where he was cleared of all charges, following a ruling by the Court of Cassation, the highest judicial court in France.