"I was paying off my debts": 30 years later, Gary Oldman still hates this brilliant French science fiction epic

Gary Oldman later said he took the role of Zorg in The Fifth Element as a favor to Luc Besson, even financing his directorial debut without reading the script.

The article says that despite Oldman’s mixed feelings, the 1997 film was a major box-office hit and became a landmark European sci-fi production.

Its bold visual style, costume design, and comic-book roots helped shape 1990s science fiction and spread French comic influence in cinema.

The film drew on the work of Jean Giraud (Moebius), Jean-Claude Mézières, and Métal Hurlant, with contributions from figures like Jean Paul Gaultier.