Luc Besson blasts Taiwanese paparazzi for interfering in Lucy shoot

Luc Besson has slammed Taiwanese paparazzi for disrupting the shooting of his latest film Lucy by taking photographs of leading actress Scarlett Johansson.

At a press conference in Taipei, Luc Besson said shooting had been “a nightmare” due to constant press intrusion.

“I lost a bit of my concentration,” he admitted.

Luc Besson spent 11 days in Taipei filming Lucy, in which Scarlett Johansson plays a drug mule endowed with superhuman abilities.

It had been reported that Luc Besson’s crew were nearly involved in a car accident last weekend with a vehicle driven by local press.

The alleged incident led Taipei’s mayor to call on the media to exercise restraint.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Luc Besson said it was his right to keep such details as Scarlett Johansson’s hair style and wardrobe out of the public eye until his film was released.

“We don’t want pictures with new dresses of Scarlett,” the director said while denying reports he had wanted to leave Taiwan early in protest.

Photos taken of the 28-year-old actress on set have shown her sporting a blonde bob, a leopard print jacket and a cowboy hat.

No release date has been set for the movie, which will see Scarlett Johansson appear alongside Morgan Freeman and South Korean star Choi Min-sik.