Time Jam: Valerian & Laureline

Did You Know?

• The series mixes 2D and CGI animation with an anime touch.
• According to Animation World Network, the series sets out to answer the question: 'Where on Earth has Earth gone?'

Production

The idea for an animated series based on Valérian first surfaced in 1976. In 1982, artist Mézières created concept art for a potential episode called The Asteroids of Shimballil, later published in 2000 as a supplement to the Bad Dreams album. A three-minute pilot was funded by Dargaud Films in 1991, directed by Bernard Deyriès and animated by Studio 32 in Paris and Luxembourg, but it never led to a series. Stills from this pilot appeared in Mézières Extras. A second pilot followed in 2001, directed by Florient Ferrier and produced by the French studio 2 Minutes. It showed Valérian and Laureline being chased to the space station Point Central by the Mortis Quartet, but this attempt also failed to launch.

The 2007 series Time Jam: Valerian & Laureline finally made it to air. It was a French-Japanese co-production directed by Philippe Vidal, with involvement from Satelight, Dargaud, and Luc Besson’s Europacorp. A French team wrote the scripts under Peter Berts’ supervision, Charles Vaucelles handled character realization, and Vincent Momméja designed the locations and spacecraft. Alexandre Azaria composed the music. The French version ran forty episodes of 23 minutes each, while the Japanese version had episodes of 11 minutes. Two trailers appeared, the first on April 24, 2006, and the second on October 10, 2006. Originally slated for France 3 in 2007, the series instead premiered on Canal+ on October 20, 2007. French comic artist Yacine Elghorri contributed to early character design.

Compared to the comics

The animated adaptation of Valerian & Laureline shifts the timeline significantly. Valerian originates from 2417 rather than 2720, and he first meets Laureline in the year 912 instead of 1000. Unlike the comics, where bringing Laureline to his era causes no issues, this action in the series makes Earth vanish from the Solar System. The pair then relocate to Central Point, the galactic capital, believing they may be the only humans left. They become space mercenaries and adventurers, exploring a new space-time continuum while searching for Earth. The show retains many characters, settings, and plot points from the original comics.