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.

Filmography

• 2027Father Joe — Writer, Producer
• 2026Down the Arm of God — Producer
• 2026Playground — Idea
• 2025Dracula — Director, Screenplay, Producer
• 2025Hell in Paradise — Producer
• 2025June and John — Director, Screenplay
• 2024Donald Trump, Dieu et les siens — Producer
• 2024Weekend in Taipei — Producer, Writer
• 2023Dogman — Director, Writer
• LEGEND
• 2022Arthur: Malediction — Writer, Producer
• 2019Anna — Writer, Director, Producer
• 2019Engagement — Executive Producer
• 2018Eva — Co-Producer
• 2018Kursk — Executive Producer
• 2018Taxi 5 — Producer, Production Director, Scenario Writer
• Playground — Creator
• 2017Renegades — Writer, Producer
• 2017Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets — Director, Writer, Producer
• 2016The Warriors Gate — Writer
• 2015The Transporter Refueled — Screenplay, Characters, Producer
• 20143 Days to Kill — Screenplay, Story, Producer
• 2014Brick Mansions — Screenplay, Producer
• 2014Lucy — Director, Writer
• 2014Taken 3 — Producer, Screenplay, Characters
• Taxi Brooklyn — Writer
• 2014The Homesman — Producer
• 2013A Prince (almost) Charming — Writer
• 2013Collision — Producer
• 2013The Family — Director, Screenplay, Producer
• Transporter: The Series — Creator
• 2012Blind Man — Original Story, Producer
• 2012Lockout — Writer, Executive Producer, Thanks
• No Limit — Creator, Writer
• 2012Taken 2 — Producer, Screenplay, Writer
• 2011A Monster in Paris — Co-Producer
• 2011Colombiana — Screenplay, Producer
• 2011Halal State Security — Producer
• 2011The Lady — Director, Producer
• 2011The Source — Producer
• 201022 Bullets — Co-Producer
• 2010Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds — Director, Writer, Producer
• 2010From Paris with Love — Story
• 2010I Love You Phillip Morris — Executive Producer
• 2010The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec — Director, Screenplay, Producer
• 2009Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard — Director, Writer, Producer, Characters
• 2009Arthur, the 4D Adventure — Producer, Original Film Writer, Director
• 2009District 13: Ultimatum — Screenplay, Producer
• 2009Hallelujah! — Producer
• 2009Home — Producer
• 2009Staten Island — Producer
• 2008Taken — Producer, Writer
• 2008Transporter 3 — Screenplay, Characters, Producer
• 2007Michou d'Auber — Executive Producer
• 2007Taxi 4 — Screenplay, Producer
• 2007The Secret — Producer
• 2006Arthur and the Invisibles — Director, Producer, Novel, Writer
• 2006Bandidas — Writer, Producer
• 2006Bunker Paradise — Producer
• 2006Love and Other Disasters — Executive Producer
• 2005Angel-A — Director, Screenplay, Producer
• 2005Au suivant ! — Co-Producer
• 2005Black Box — Executive Producer
• 2005Colour Me Kubrick — Executive Producer
• 2005Le court des grands — Director
• 2005Revolver — Adaptation
• 2005The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada — Producer
• 2005Transporter 2 — Characters, Producer, Writer
• 2005Unleashed — Producer, Author
• 2004Crimson Rivers II: Angels of the Apocalypse — Writer, Producer
• 2004District B13 — Producer, Screenplay
• 2004In Your Image — Associate Producer
• 2004Taxi — Producer, Original Film Writer
• 2004The Story Of My Life — Producer
• 2003Fan-Fan the Tulip — Writer, Producer
• 2003I, Cesar — Co-Producer
• 2003Michel Vaillant — Screenplay
• 2003Ong-Bak — Executive Producer
• 2003Taxi 3 — Screenplay, Producer
• 2003The Chops — Producer
• 2002Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra — Additional Camera
• 2002Blanche — Producer
• 2002The Transporter — Screenplay, Producer
• 2002The Truth About Charlie — Thanks
• 2001August 15th — Producer
• 2001Kiss of the Dragon — Screenplay, Producer
• 2001Mylene Farmer: Music Videos II & III — Director
• 2001Wasabi — Screenplay, Producer
• 2001Yamakasi — Screenplay, Idea
• 2000Bichhoo — Original Story
• 2000Exit — Associate Producer
• 2000Taxi 2 — Boat Owner (uncredited), Screenplay, Producer
• 2000The Dancer — Screenplay, Producer
• 1999The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc — Screenplay, Producer, Director
• 1998Taxi — Screenplay, Producer
• 1997Nil by Mouth — Producer
• 1997The Fifth Element — Director, Screenplay, Story
• 1994Léon: The Professional — Screenplay, Director
• 1993Point of No Return — Original Story
• 1993The Lion Child — Executive Producer
• 1992Arrête ton cinéma — Producer, Thanks
• 1991Atlantis — Director, Editor, Cinematography
• 1991Cold Moon — Producer
• 1990Nikita — Director, Co-Producer, Writer
• 1989The Big Blue Adventure — Self / Narrator, Idea
• 1988Jeu de vilains — Producer
• 1988The Big Blue — Blond Diver (uncredited), Director, Story, Screenplay, Co-Producer
• 1986Kamikaze — Writer, Producer
• 1985Subway — Le Conducteur de Metro (uncredited), Director, Producer, Dialogue, Screenplay
• 1983Isabelle Adjani: Pull Marine — Director
• 1983The Last Battle — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1981Rookie Soldiers on Maneuvers — Casting
• 1981The Penultimate — Director, Writer, Producer
• Disorder — Screenplay, Producer
• Lucy 2 — Writer
• The Last Man — Director, Screenplay
• Titi l'extra-terrestre — Screenplay

Appearances as themselves (15)

• 2026Mr. Kim Goes to the Cinema — Self
• 2023The Family — Self
• Mostra, Venise — Self
• James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction — Self
• 2017Valérian, histoire d'une création — Self
• 2011Belmondo, itinéraire... — Self
• On n'est pas couché — Self - Guest
• 2002Heart of the Festival — Self (archive footage)
• Vivement dimanche — Self
• NeXt — Self
• 1990Au coeur de Nikita — Self
• Stars 90 — Self
• Victoires de la musique — Self
• Champs-Elysées — Self
• Spécial cinéma — Self