<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $90 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $263.9 million </Td> </Tr> <P> The Fifth Element (French: Le Cinquième Élément) is a 1997 French science - fiction action film directed and co-written by Luc Besson . It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman and Milla Jovovich . Primarily set in the 23rd century, the film's central plot involves the survival of planet Earth, which becomes the responsibility of Korben Dallas (Willis), a taxicab driver and former special forces major, after a young woman (Jovovich) falls into his cab . Dallas joins forces with her to recover four mystical stones essential for the defence of Earth against an impending attack by a malevolent cosmic entity . </P> <P> Besson started writing the story that became The Fifth Element when he was 16 years old; he was 38 when the film opened in cinemas . Besson wanted to shoot the film in France, but suitable locations could not be found; filming took place instead in London and Mauritania . Comics writers Jean "Moebius" Giraud and Jean - Claude Mézières, whose comics provided inspiration for parts of the film, were hired for production design . Costume design was by Jean - Paul Gaultier . </P>

The cast of the movie the fifth element