Luc Besson to announce shock retirement?

Besson created a stir on Saturday when rumors have surfaced that his career was over.

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Sad news for Besson fans. Speculation had been rife that the French director best known for The Fifth Element, Léon: The Professional or The Big Blue, is about to announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 66, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 22/02/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a director isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a director-screenwriter-producer just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouLuc

For a little while on Saturday evening, #ThankYouLuc was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Luc Besson was unlike any other director we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouLuc”
— @universalObserver, 21 Feb 2026

“Didn't Luc Besson retire about 3 years ago?”
— @samy2love, 21 Feb 2026

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