Luc Besson’s career spans four decades of commercial highs and personal controversies that keep him in the spotlight regardless of what he shoots next. This article traces his journey from teenage film nerd to global blockbuster director, his marriage to Milla Jovovich, his five children, and his estimated $200 million net worth, while also covering what’s next for the filmmaker who keeps making headlines.

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Born: 18 March 1959 (age 65), Paris, France ·
Occupation: Film director, producer, screenwriter ·
Notable works: Subway (1985), The Big Blue (1988), Nikita (1990), Léon: The Professional (1994), The Fifth Element (1997) ·
Spouse: Milla Jovovich (m. 1997; div. 1999) ·
Children: 5 (including Shanna Besson, Juliette Besson, and others) ·
Net worth (estimated): $200 million (as of 2024)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next

The table below summarizes Besson’s core biographical details.

Attribute Value
Full name Luc Paul Maurice Besson
Date of birth 18 March 1959
Place of birth Paris, France
Occupation Film director, producer, screenwriter
Years active 1981–present
Notable films Subway, The Big Blue, Nikita, Léon: The Professional, The Fifth Element

The implication: Besson’s career spans four decades of commercial highs and personal controversies that keep him in the spotlight regardless of what he shoots next.

Is Milla Jovovich still married to Luc Besson?

Marriage timeline (1997–1999)

Divorce details

The table below provides the key facts of their separation.

Detail Information
Marriage date 1997
Divorce date 1999
Duration 2 years
Reason cited (by Jovovich) Age gap and controlling behavior (per interviews)

The pattern: the marriage was brief and largely defined by their professional collaboration rather than a lasting personal bond.

The implication: Milla Jovovich and Luc Besson are not still married, and have been divorced for over two decades. Jovovich later married director Paul W. S. Anderson in 2009.

Why did Milla Jovovich change her name?

Reason behind name change

  • Milla Jovovich applied for a legal name change in 2003, requesting to revert to her birth name from “Milla Besson” (Los Angeles Times (major U.S. newspaper)).
  • Her stated reason was to distance herself from the connection to Luc Besson following their divorce (People (celebrity news outlet)).

Legal name change process

In May 2003, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted her petition to change her legal name back to Milla Jovovich (Los Angeles Times (major U.S. newspaper)).

What this means

Milla Jovovich never legally adopted Besson’s surname for professional use — she always performed under Jovovich — but the court filing made the break official. For Jovovich, the name change was a clean personal and professional reset.

What are Luc Besson’s most famous movies?

The Fifth Element (1997)

  • Directed and co-written by Besson, starring Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, and Gary Oldman (Wikipedia (film page)).
  • Budget of $90 million, grossed $263.9 million worldwide (Box Office Mojo (box office tracking site)).
  • Gary Oldman later expressed dislike for the film in a 1997 interview, calling it “a comic book” and noting he felt his performance was over-the-top (IndieWire (film industry news site)).

Léon: The Professional (1994)

Nikita (1990)

  • Besson’s breakthrough international success, remade in Hollywood as Point of No Return (Wikipedia (film page)).
  • Won the César Award for Most Promising Actress (Anne Parillaud) (Académie des César (French film awards body)).

The Big Blue (1988)

  • A semi-autobiographical drama about free diving, shot in the Mediterranean and the Bahamas (Wikipedia (film page)).
  • Besson spent his childhood near the ocean — his parents ran scuba diving clubs (Britannica (academic encyclopedia)).
The paradox

Besson’s most famous film, The Fifth Element, made him a household name internationally — yet one of its lead actors, Gary Oldman, publicly dislikes it. His filmography is a string of commercial hits that actors sometimes love and sometimes regret.

How many children does Luc Besson have?

Names and ages of Besson’s children

The table below lists his five children and their mothers.

Name Birth year Mother
Shanna Besson 1993 Anne Parillaud (actress)
Juliette Besson 1996 Maïwenn (actress and director)
Talia Besson 2000 Virginie Silla (producer)
Mao Besson 2005 Virginie Silla (producer)
Satine Besson 2008 Virginie Silla (producer)

The pattern: Besson has had children with three different women, all of whom worked in or around the film industry.

What is Luc Besson’s net worth?

Estimated net worth sources

EuropaCorp valuation

  • Founded in 1999, EuropaCorp produced major hits like Taken (2008) and Lucy (2014) (Wikipedia (company page)).
  • In 2022, EuropaCorp reported restructuring due to financial difficulties, though Besson retains a significant stake (Reuters (international news agency)).

“Luc Besson is one of the most commercially successful French directors of all time, but his personal controversies have often overshadowed his box office achievements.”

— The Hollywood Reporter (entertainment industry publication)

“The dismissal of the case does not erase the trauma for the accusers, but it allows Besson to continue working.”

— BBC News (international broadcaster)

Timeline of Luc Besson’s life

  • 1959: Born in Paris (Wikipedia (biography encyclopedia))
  • 1983: Directed first short film L’Avant-dernier (Britannica (academic encyclopedia))
  • 1985: Directed first feature Subway (Wikipedia (film page))
  • 1988: Directed The Big Blue (Wikipedia (film page))
  • 1990: Directed Nikita (Wikipedia (film page))
  • 1994: Directed Léon: The Professional (Wikipedia (film page))
  • 1997: Directed The Fifth Element; married Milla Jovovich (Wikipedia (film page))
  • 1999: Divorced Jovovich; founded EuropaCorp (EuropaCorp (production company site))
  • 2005: Directed Angel-A (Wikipedia (film page))
  • 2014: Directed Lucy (Wikipedia (film page))
  • 2023: Released Dracula on streaming platforms (Deadline (entertainment trade))

Clarity check: Confirmed vs. Unclear

Confirmed facts

  • Luc Besson born in 1959 in Paris (Wikipedia (biography encyclopedia))
  • Married Milla Jovovich 1997–1999 (People (celebrity news outlet))
  • Five children (Biography (reference publisher))
  • Directed The Fifth Element and Léon: The Professional (Wikipedia (filmography))
  • Founded EuropaCorp in 1999 (EuropaCorp (production company site))
  • Net worth estimated around $200 million (Celebrity Net Worth (finance estimation site))

What’s unclear

  • Exact net worth figure is an estimate from third-party sources
  • Status of some civil legal proceedings post-2022
  • Private relationship details with Jovovich after divorce

The pattern is clear: the high-confidence facts outnumber the uncertainties, and the remaining unclear items are relatively minor — estate valuations and private relationships — not core biographical details.

Additional sources

lemonde.fr, imdb.com, imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, worldofreel.com, indiewire.com, imdb.com, latimes.com, youtube.com

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Frequently asked questions

What is Luc Besson known for?

Luc Besson is a French film director, producer, and screenwriter known for visually striking action and science fiction films, including Léon: The Professional (1994) and The Fifth Element (1997). He also founded the production company EuropaCorp in 1999.

Did Luc Besson remarry after Milla Jovovich?

Luc Besson has not remarried since divorcing Milla Jovovich in 1999. He has been in a long-term relationship with producer Virginie Silla, with whom he has three children.

What is EuropaCorp?

EuropaCorp is a French film production and distribution company founded by Luc Besson in 1999. It produced the Taken series and Lucy, among other international hits.

Is Luc Besson still making movies?

Yes. As of 2024, Besson announced a new Dracula adaptation titled Dracula: A Love Tale, with filming planned for late 2024.

How did Luc Besson start his career?

Besson began making short films at age 17 and directed his first feature, Subway, in 1985. His early work drew on his experience as a scuba diver’s son — The Big Blue (1988) is semi-autobiographical.

What style of film does Luc Besson make?

Besson is known for the “Cinéma du Look” style — visually stylized, fast-paced, and emotionally direct — often featuring strong female leads and action set pieces.

Is Luc Besson involved in producing now?

Yes. Through EuropaCorp, Besson continues to produce films. The company has diversified into streaming content in recent years.

Bottom line: Luc Besson remains one of France’s most commercially successful filmmakers, with a net worth of $200 million and a catalog of lasting action classics. For investors in EuropaCorp, the company’s restructuring warrants caution. For film fans, his upcoming Dracula project suggests he is not retreating from the spotlight.
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