LOS ANGELES, April 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultra PRO Entertainment, the tabletop game publishing division of Ultra PRO International LLC ("Ultra PRO"), is excited to announce Valerian: The Alpha Missions, a cooperative-style board game based on the upcoming EuropaCorp feature film, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Lucy) and starring Dane DeHaan (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad). The game will debut when STXfilms and EuropaCorp releases the sci-fi epic in theaters in the United States in 2D and 3D beginning July 21 2017.

In Valerian: The Alpha Missions players work together to complete mission objectives, battle nefarious aliens and return to safety.

Valerian: The Alpha Missions gives fans of tabletop gaming and the Valerian franchise the opportunity to discover Alpha, a vast metropolis in which species from across the universe gather over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence, and cultures. After assembling a team of agents, players must cooperate to explore a contested zone of Alpha, race to complete objectives while battling and evading enemies. Complete the missions and get to the extraction site in time to win!

The game board consists of randomly placed tiles that are revealed as agents move around the map, creating a unique experience each game. Players will never know who or what they might encounter – enemies could attack or players may discover valuable resources to power their mission gear. Each player must decide whether to split up and accomplish their objectives faster or sacrifice valuable resources to save their teammates. As the clock runs down and enemies gain ground, only the most skilled team of agents will complete their missions to return as heroes.

EuropaCorp, the global film and television studio founded by Luc Besson, has partnered with Striker Entertainment as EuropaCorp's worldwide licensing agent. Other merchandising licensees include Titan Entertainment, NECA, Funko and WizKids.

"We jumped at the opportunity to work with such a fantastic sci-fi film by Luc Besson, one of my all-time favorite directors. Having a great working relationship with Striker Entertainment and EuropaCorp's commitment to this project gave us an exciting platform to create and craft a spectacular game" said Sean Lashgari, Senior Director of Ultra PRO Entertainment. "After diving into this project we saw something very special being created from Luc Besson's vivid imagination, and we worked with Ryan Miller, one of the best game designers in our industry, to capture a slice of that universe for the fans." Ultra PRO Entertainment plans to release Valerian: The Alpha Missions by the end of July.

"We are thrilled to be working with the team at Ultra PRO who quickly immersed themselves into the world of Valerian and created a fun and unique game that is different every time you play it.  They used many of the elements from Valerian ranging from the multitude of aliens, to the many areas of Alpha, to the different resources and cultures that will appeal to both fans of Valerian, as well as, people just discovering the world" said Virginie Besson-Silla, producer of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.

The film, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, is based on the Valerian BD series (bande dessinee, French graphic novel) series and opens nationwide July 21, 2017.

ABOUT ULTRA PRO

Ultra PRO International LLC is the leading manufacturer and supplier of memorabilia, collectibles and tabletop gaming accessories, photo and scrapbooking albums and pages, Ultra Sleeves™ disposable, protective sleeves for computer tablets and school and office folders.  Ultra PRO's Entertainment Division is a publisher of strategy board games for mass retail and hobby markets.  Ultra PRO's TableTopics Division offers a wide variety of conversation starter cards designed to create stimulating conversations and social experiences.  Ultra PRO is a privately-held, family-owned company with head offices near Los Angeles, California and a secondary warehouse in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.  For more information please visit www.ultrapro.com.

ABOUT THE FILM

VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS is the visually spectacular new adventure film from Luc Besson, the legendary director of The Professional, The Fifth Element and Lucy, based on the ground-breaking comic book series written by Pierre Christin with art by Jean-Claude Mézières which inspired a generation of artists, writers and filmmakers.  The film is produced by Virginie Besson-Silla.

In the 28th century, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of Alpha—an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. There is a mystery at the center of Alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

Check out the film's latest trailer here.

ABOUT EUROPACORP

EuropaCorp is one of Europe's leading film studios. Founded in 1999, EuropaCorp has operations spanning production, theatrical distribution, video and VOD, and television sales. EuropaCorp also has international rights, partnerships and licensing, production and soundtrack publishing activities. The Group has also been producing TV series since 2010. EuropaCorp's integrated business model allows it to benefit from diversified sources of revenue. With a line-up boasting various types of films and a very strong foothold in international markets, the Group has produced France's biggest international hits in recent years. EuropaCorp was founded by French filmmaker, screenwriter and producer Luc Besson. The Group owns a catalogue of 500 movies.

ABOUT STRIKER ENTERTAINMENT

Striker Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based full-service global licensing agency dedicated to maximizing licensing opportunities and building brand equity for its clients. Striker represents many of Hollywood's most exciting entertainment properties including The Walking Dead, Five Nights at Freddy's, Preacher, Ash vs Evil Dead, Ghost in the Shell and Candy Crush. Striker has won several Licensing Industry Excellence awards for its licensing programs, including The Walking Dead, The Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games. and Angry Birds. Headed by industry veterans Russell Binder and Marc Mostman, Striker's client roster includes AMC, Amblin Partners, J.K. Benton Studios, King, Morgan Creek, Paramount, Sony, Starz, Viacom, and several others. For more information, visit www.strikerentertainment.com.

SOURCE Ultra PRO International LLC

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