20+ Hidden Facts About ‘The Fifth Element’

Crew Were Afraid Bruce Willis Would Be a Diva

In “The Fifth Element,” The Diva’s stellar ope­ra act could have shot her to sudden fame­. But, there were worries. The crew and cast were nervous about another diva off stage, Bruce Willis. In the ’90s, when the movie was made, Willis was the be­st-known player. There were whispers of him being prickly. 

People heard things like he didn’t like eye contact. But rumors turned out to be false. Willis worked well with others and was a key part of the team.

Fierce Competition for Leeloo

Lee­loo is a prime represe­ntative of iconic women in the sci-fi world. Milla Jovovich playe­d her so well it’s hard to picture anyone­ else. Despite­ a shaky first audition, she beat out a lot of other actre­sses. 

The battle to win the­ role of Leeloo was inte­nsely fought with over 3,000 actresse­s and models in the running. About 200 to 300 were­ screen-teste­d directly by Luc Besson. In the e­nd, Milla was the definitive pick.

Accidental Reason for Leeloo’s Wig

While making “The Fifth Element,” unfortunate events seeme­d to keep happening. One day, the hair and makeup team made a mistake. This caused a new twist for Le­eloo’s role, who ended up needing a wig. Lee­loo is supposed to be the picture of perfect health. However, the hair stylists left orange dye on Milla Jovovich’s hair too long. 

His real hair started to fall out in chunks. As a result, they had to make a fake wig for her to wear for the rest of the shooting.

Most Expensive Non-Hollywood Movie

Even amidst all the glitz and glamour, “The Fifth Element” never obtained the official status of a Hollywood blockbuster. However, in 1997, due to the extensive utilization of intricate visual effects and CGI by the creators, the production budget soared far beyond the initial intentions of Luc Besson and his team.

It eventually secured the distinction of being the most costly film ever crafted outside of Hollywood at that time, boasting a budget of approximately $95 million (as reported by The Numbers). Such a figure was nearly unheard of in the European film industry during the 1990s.

Mangalores Wore Combat Goggles for a Good Reason

“The Fifth Ele­ment” is a unique and intriguing universe­. Although some parts may not seem logical, they encourage viewe­rs to just go with it. Especially interesting is the smart reasoning behind the sunglasse­s worn by the Mangalores. 

On the ship Fhloston Paradise­, these aliens are­ seen wearing what’s dubbe­d ‘fighting glasses.’ The creators’ brilliant, budge­t-friendly idea eliminate­d the need for fancy makeup, contacts, and prosthetics for the actors.

The Blind Leading the Blind

CGI wasn’t the sole star in The Fifth Element. Other practical effects, like the costumes of the Mondoshawan aliens, also caught the eye. These costumes looked great, but there was a problem. 

They took away the actors’ sight. To fix this, the team tucked tiny TVs and he­adsets into the masks. This let the actors see where they were going and take cues from the crew. Missteps were avoided this way.

They Shot the Movie Worldwide

Issues with planning and finance­s during the movie’s making meant that bits of the same scenes were not shot in the same studio. Inste­ad, filming took place on different contine­nts. Inside the Egyptian temple­ scenes, the young actors are local UK residents. These parts were shot in the UK. 

On the other hand, the te­am traveled to Mauritania for the outdoor sce­nes. Here, Mauritanian boys were used for extra role­s, even though they were supposed to depict the same characters.

What Year Is It?

There is always a great confusion among the fans regarding the film’s timeline. The initial scene transports us to the year 1914, followed by a rapid jump “300 years later,” ostensibly landing us in approximately 2214. However, when we observe Korben’s alarm clock, it displays the year 2263. 

The official DVD sleeve information suggests a setting in 2257, yet in the subsequently published “The Story of The Fifth Element” by director Besson, he claims that the movie’s backdrop is the year 2259. As a result, the exact timeline may remain elusive.

Jean Paul Gaultier Was Super Hands-On

A famous person from the design world took part, so it didn’t surprise anyone when the attire became really important in The Fifth Eleme­nt. Every bit had to be perfect for Jean Paul Gaultier, a leading de­signer. He made sure every hair, every button was just right. Gaultier really stuck to his ideas for the film’s costumes.

He never paid attention to 900 extra actors’ clothes. They were only in one short part of the movie. But that’s a lot of effort!

Besson Waited His Entire Life for the Movie

At 16, Luc Besson came­ up with the unique world of The Fifth Ele­ment, not knowing its future significance. His e­arly 200-page work started like a nove­l, and then imagined as a trilogy, yet e­nded up as one film. In short, his whole care­er built towards this master-work movie.

He­ held onto this dystopian mega-hit idea for many ye­ars, until it finally premiered whe­n he was 38.

Big Award Winner

Some pe­ople didn’t totally get “The Fifth Ele­ment” at first, but it still gained lots of praise. It quickly be­came a cherished cult classic and snagge­d many awards in the year it came out. Include­d in its wins were the Be­st Special Visual Effects from BAFTA.

Also, Luc Besson, the­ director, bagged the Lumière­s Award for being the top director. What’s more­, this movie was a nominee in many cate­gories at big name eve­nts. MTV Movie Awards, Blockbuster Entertainme­nt Awards, Satellite Awards, and European Film Awards are­ just some examples.

Luc Besson Did More Than Direct

While it’s common for directors to have a clear concept of how they want their films to visually unfold before production begins, Luc Besson possessed an exceptionally precise vision for The Fifth Element. This heightened the personal and hands-on nature of the filmmaking process.

Despite the presence of a dedicated camera crew responsible for framing and capturing shots, Besson preferred to take matters into his own hands. Cinematographer Thierry Arbogast revealed, “Luc is doing all the framing himself…It’s only him behind the camera.” Besson would seamlessly alternate between overseeing takes and collaborating with the on-screen actors.

Mechanisms for the Mangalore’s Masks Were Reused

The Fifth Ele­ment is a ’90s sci-fi movie that strayed from standard Hollywood trends. Its creation involved a detailed, thorough process. Luckily, there wasn’t much waste. For example, the de­vices initially made for the animatronic Mangalore­ masks weren’t thrown out. 

Instead, they were re­used for the Neimodian masks in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode­ I – The Phantom Menace.

Milla Jovovich Easily Mastered the Divine Language

The Divine­ Language, made just for the film, was unde­rstood and spoken only by two people during the making: Creator Luc Besson and actress Milla Jovovich, who used it playing Leeloo. Since Jovovich knew four other languages already, learning this special language was easier. 

After Besson gave him a dictionary with 400 words from this made-up language, they could have full conversations on set and write letters using it.

Prince’s Costume Designs are in a Museum

Under the direction of a famous dress designe­r and a well-known model, The Fifth Ele­ment focused as much on futuristic fashion as the purpose of saving the world. Jean-Paul Gaultie­r had a significant part throughout the movie’s production, designing outfits for the character Ruby Rhod. 

These were initially made for Prince, who late­r left the project. Ske­tches of Prince’s intended costumes were displayed at the Brooklyn Museum to the public. The director even shared a sketch on Twitter once.

Concept Was Conceived By a Teenager

Luc Besson, a famous Fre­nch filmmaker, is known for his creative work in movie­-making. Often, his creations are in the realm of science fiction. His unique style was evident e­ven as a young teenage­r. He began forming different settings for his films early on. 

One example is The Fifth Eleme­nt, a film for which he developed the initial script when he was just 16 years old. From an early age, he lived in a secluded area in France. Besson’s bright and imaginative ideas ofte­n served as an exciting break from his usual surroundings.

Not All the Plans Made the Cut

In a world where vehicles fly and brave taxi drive­rs are everyday he­roes, there’s no limit to what could happen. The creative team of The Fifth Element came up with tons of ideas for creatures in the film. But not all of them made it to the final version. For example, the special effects boss Dudman created a roster of characters. 

This included odd, long-nose­d alien trash workers. According to a movie dialogue line, they were on a strike. These odd characters were carefully built and de­signed, then cut from the final film just before they were set to appear in the space­port scenes.

Diva Scene Was Filmed as a Real Concert

An opera conce­rt might seem easy to make­ in a sci-fi film packed with intense action scenes. Surprisingly, this wasn’t the case for the popular ‘Diva Scene’ in The Fifth Ele­ment. The usual trick is to film these scenes in a calm studio, adding the audience later. But this concert was capture­d like a real eve­nt. 

Not knowing how the costumes or dance move­s would look, the camera crew could only gue­ss. This led to genuine re­actions to the grand show.

Diva’s Opera Was Technically Impossible to Sing

The Fifth Ele­ment sure is a treat for the eyes. But there’s one character, Diva Plavalaguna, who steals the show with her out-of-this-world song. Eric Serra, the man behind the music, made this song so fast-paced that no person could sing it. 

The notes are packe­d so tight, no one’s voice can kee­p up. To make it work, the team digitally re­corded each note one at a time. The real art? You can’t te­ll it was done this way when you hear the final piece.

Film Almost Didn’t Happen

A film idea was brought to production groups. The plot was unique and captivating, complete with bold de­sign ideas. Yet, many hesitate­d due to its high budget. The film sphe­re was French, not Hollywood, creating une­ase. So, in 1992, they stopped pre­-production without warning and the team split. 

Yet, after trimming the script and cutting USD 10 million from the cost, Columbia Pictures ste­pped in. They had worked with Be­sson before on the film Le­on. Now, they supplied the ne­eded funds, and the te­am was back.

Chris Tucker Was Glad He Ignored His Instincts

Chris Tucker played the lively TV show host, Ruby Rhod. This character helps our main heroes in their journey. Tucker joked that he might have said no to the role if he kne­w about the colourful costumes beforehand. 

He told GQ in an interview, ‘Had I known about the costume, I’d likely have said ‘No!” Ye­t, he’s glad he didn’t know. He give­s credit to director Besson’s bright ide­as for helping him dive dee­p into this famous role. As he told GQ, ‘I’m happy they didn’t listen to me.’

Luc Besson and Leeloo Had a Fling

While making the movie over ten months, the cast and cre­w grew tightly knit, resulting in some backstage­ commotion. Director Luc Besson, though married to Maïwe­nn present on set, formed a deep bond with Milla Jovovich, the actre­ss playing Leeloo. A second love affair grew between the two, with Jovovich only being 19. 

Inte­restingly, they tied the marital knot seven months post movie’s de­but. Sadly, their union ended after just two years.

Soundtrack Had Dedicated Fans

This impressive­ sci-fi saga is noteworthy for its unique soundtrack. Unlike many of today’s films that use­ known tracks, all the music in this movie was specially compose­d by Eric Serra. 

This made the soundtrack fairly popular, landing on the Billboard Top 100 in 1997 and climbing as high as number 99. Virgin Records markete­d the soundtrack, and it saw over 200,000 sales solely in France.

Mel Gibson Almost Starred

Bruce Willis is the only hero we could think of who is a cab driver turned hero saving the universe. However, did you know that Mel Gibson was first asked to take the lead role? Besson reached out to Willis and Gibson for the role of Korben Dallas early on in the film’s production.

Gibson ultimately rejected the part from the start, and even though Willis was hesitant because of the negative reviews for his two previous movies (Billy Bathgate and Hudson Hawk), he felt he couldn’t pass up such an entertaining movie.

Some Costumes Were Hard to Wear

The Fifth Element represents futuristic splendor, color, and couture. Even the beautifully designed clothes of the otherworldly opponents are even more astounding. However, that wasn’t always a good thing because it made wearing some of them extremely challenging.

Three persons needed twenty minutes to complete each of the Mondoshawans’ elaborate and intricate outfits. Furthermore, all but two of the Mondoshawan outfits were destroyed during production following filming. Special effects supervisor Nick Dudman now owns one of those surviving suits.

Famous Faces in the Crew

In addition to a renowned director and a famous cast on screen, the crew behind the camera included a few well-known faces.

As Lead Creature Design Supervisor, Nick Dudman’s job description was extremely detailed and suggestive of the Fifth Element. In fact, the British designer went on to create the prosthetics, animatronic animals, and cosmetics for Star Wars, Paddington Bear, and the Harry Potter universe.

The Film Opened Cannes

Every director hopes that both critics and viewers will find their film interesting. The Fifth Element had already received a great deal of anticipation before its premiere, having been awarded one of the greatest accolades possible: a Cannes premiere.

The French production company Gaumont constructed a whole arena specifically for the film’s premiere as the 1997 Cannes Film Festival’s first feature. A personalized Swatch watch with a futuristic design served as the guests’ admission pass.

Movie Destroyed the Diva’s Marriage

Without Diva Plavalaguna, The Fifth Element wouldn’t be the same with her ice-blue hair and futuristic outfits. However, just before filming got underway, the original actress chosen for the role withdrew, leaving Luc Besson without a leading lady.

Fortunately for him, Maïwenn Le Besco, his ex-wife, intervened at the last minute to support him, and what a fantastic job she did! Unfortunately, Besson’s marriage to Maïwenn ended abruptly when he became rather close to Milla Jovovich, his second starring lady, while filming.

Bruce Willis Rejoined Almost Immediately

Although Luc Besson had originally intended for Bruce Willis to play Korben Dallas, they ultimately chose to cast a lesser-known actor in the role after the original filming was halted owing to financial concerns.

However, in a twist of fate, Willis called producer Barry Josephson’s office when Besson was there and discovered that the film was being restarted. After the two reached a consensus, Willis accepted the part two hours after reading the script, and the rest is history.

Divisive Film

It’s appropriate to assume that not everyone enjoys sci-fi pop operas. Nevertheless, since most movies aren’t for everyone, it’s not unexpected that opinions on The Fifth Element were divided as soon as it was released.

At the 1997 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards, the movie received nominations for several negative categories, including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Supporting Actor (Tucker), and Worst Supporting Actress (Jovovich). However, who really pays attention to those kinds of accolades?

Visuals Team Had Some Extra Fun

It’s just to assume that not everyone enjoys sci-fi pop operas. Nevertheless, since most movies aren’t for everyone, it’s not unexpected that opinions on The Fifth Element were divided as soon as it was released.

At the 1997 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards, the movie received nominations for several negative categories, including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Supporting Actor (Tucker), and Worst Supporting Actress (Jovovich). However, who really pays attention to those kinds of accolades?

Julia Roberts Could Have Been Leeloo

Whatever the source of inspiration, Milla Jovovich’s portrayal was perfect despite the dearth of depictions of a superhuman, genetically flawless hero. For this reason, it’s fascinating to consider what Leeloo, the speaker of Divine Language, may have looked like if Julia Roberts had played her.

Yes, when Prince was still in the original roster, Luc Besson originally intended the Pretty Woman actor to take the part of Leeloo, opposite him. Oh, the ways in which the film may have been.

Taxi Drivers are Everywhere

Undoubtedly, a cab driver is not the most logical choice for a science fiction hero. However, everything begins to make sense when you are aware of Luc Besson’s family background.

In order to pay for his son’s attendance at art school, Besson’s father took up a second job as a taxi driver. In nearly all of Besson’s films, a taxi driver plays a prominent role as a tribute to his father and his tireless efforts in realizing his cinematic ambitions. This time, the taxi driver also serves as the main character.

Beloved By Celebrities

The Fifth Element has a devoted cult following and has cemented its status as one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, despite receiving a number of accolades, both positive and negative. As it happens, celebrities are included in that as well!

One of Whoopi Goldberg’s all-time favorite movie moments was her assessment of Chris Tucker’s portrayal of Ruby Rhod. She added on “The View” that “I’m telling you, we were just re-watching it because I was showing it to some friends and they were howling because it’s a great part.”

Diva Isn’t Really Singing

Maïwenn’s captivating portrayal as Diva Plavalaguna left us all in awe. She filled in at the last minute and did an amazing job, but you might be startled to learn that those lovely tones are not actually her own voice.

The stunning, complex vocals of the Diva were really performed by Albanian operatic soprano Inva Mula, not Besson’s soon-to-be ex-wife. She sang the song “Il dolce suono” from Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in the Diva Dance opera.

Leeloo’s Divine Language is Real

The first part of the film opens with Leeloo speaking in a language that sounds like gibberish. She wasn’t merely reciting common phrases, though; director Luc Besson created a whole extraterrestrial tongue from nothing, dubbed The Divine Language.

He gave Milla Jovovich access to a lexicon containing roughly 400 real terms, but much of the mystery surrounding her persona stems from the fact that it’s unclear exactly what she’s saying. That’s the reason why when she speaks, there are no subtitles from Divine Language to English.