It really is kind of funny to think about just how much Chris Pratt’s career path has changed in the last few years or so. Once primarily known for playing the absentminded yet still imminently likable Andy Dwyer on NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, 2014 saw Pratt undergo a physical transformation in order to play cocky hero Peter “Star Lord” Quill in Marvel Studios blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy. Both the film and Pratt’s performance were a hit, almost instantly elevating the actor to A-list status in Hollywood.
Pratt followed that up in 2015 with another heroic action role, playing badass raptor trainer extraordinaire Owen Grady in the mega successful reboot/loose sequel Jurassic World. Pratt also recently starred as one of the titular characters in Antoine Fuqua’s western remake The Magnificent Seven, and is set to return for sequels to both Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy. For now at least, Pratt’s profile as a bonafide movie star is seemingly only getting higher.
Pratt’s next effort pairs him up for the first time with fellow A-lister Jennifer Lawrence, who has seen her star status cemented by leading roles in the Hunger Games and X-Men franchises. Directed by Oscar-nominee Morten Tydum (The Imitation Game) and written by Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), Passengers is described as a romantic sci-fi thriller, and is set on a massive space vessel called the Starship Avalon. Some new images from the film have hit the net, and can be viewed directly below.
The titular Passengers are on the Avalon as it makes its 120-year journey to a distant planet known as Homestead II. The 5,259 people onboard are being sent to colonize this planet, but unfortunately, a malfunction causes two sleep chambers to open early, releasing New York author Aurora Dunn (Lawrence) and Denver mechanical engineer Jim Preston (Pratt) some 90 years before the ship will arrive at its destination. The duo soon discover that their waking up early is far from their only problem, and as they try to figure out what to do, sparks between the two fly.
Passengers’ script has been floating around Hollywood since 2007, after it was included in the annual Black List of the best unproduced screenplays. The project then bounced around between various studios before ultimately landing at Sony Pictures. Interestingly enough, at one point the two leading roles were set to be played by Keanu Reeves and Reese Witherspoon, although that plan obviously never got past the idea stage. After having spent so much time in development hell, it’ll be interesting to see if Passengersproves worthy of finally seeing release.