Why a ‘Fifth Element’ Continuum of Sci-Fi Success Hasn’t Happened

The Fifth Element was well received in 1997, but was not immediately considered a classic within the science fiction genre. The film is now regarded as a great film by many.

But why didn’t the sequel come? Co-screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen answered that question during a recent interview with Aprox.

known cause
According to Common, despite interest in a sequel, the film’s revenue was ultimately the deciding factor. Kamen said:

“The script for The Fifth Element was actually 180 pages long, and then Luc Besson added another section, which made no sense.

We were actually going to shoot that part as a sequel, but that didn’t happen because The Fifth Element didn’t catch on in America. In other parts of the world, the film was hugely popular and became an instant classic, but in the US it grossed only $75 million.

The film was ahead of its time. So we never made the movie, but if we had we would have turned Luke’s other 180-page thing into a script.”

The Fifth Element is awaiting a sequel, but some factors stopped the project from moving forward. https://t.co/Y99nLrOBgO

— Movieweb (@movieweb) May 8, 2023

not enough
Although the film was not a success in the US, the Bruce Willis-starrer grossed $263 million worldwide. But with a $90 million budget, that wasn’t enough for a sequel.