Model/actress Cara Delevingne is featured prominently in the trailer for Luc Besson’s upcoming sci-fi film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, though pay close attention and you’ll catch a quick glimpse of a shape-shifting Rihanna.
The Fifth Element director Besson told Entertainment Weekly that landing Rihanna as an actress for the film was a top priority, explaining, “Rihanna was my first wish. First, because of her voice and the way she smiles and looks and how she expresses herself. Second, because you know she won’t be intimidated on the set. She plays stadiums with 100,000 people. You know that girl isn’t shy about the camera and the crew and all this.”
While there is just a flash of her in the preview (1:18), she will be on camera for about 20 minutes in the film, according to Besson, who said he was impressed by her attitude on the set. “She was very direct with me. She said ‘Luc, I want to learn, I want to work. Just let me do it.’ And I must say that she was a great partner and did everything I asked. And believe me, I asked too much,” said Besson.
Valerian hits theaters on July 21.
