This Isn't the Chris Pratt We Know

He may have a predilection for physical comedy and satire, but chris pratt is showing a different side of himself in his new film

- Darren Ho

When the screenplay for Passengers (showing in cinemas now) – a script that had been building a considerable buzz in Hollywood for several years – finally landed on Chris Pratt’s desk he read it through in one sitting and declared: “It’s mine.”

Quite simply, he says, the role of Jim Preston, a blue-collar mechanic travelling from Earth to start a new life on a distant planet, is unlike anything he has tackled before and he couldn’t bear the thought of another actor taking it on.

“When I read the script I couldn’t believe that I would be given an opportunity to be in this movie,” he recalls. “Sometimes you read a script and it just grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go. I was never going to let anyone else play Jim. It was mine.”

And now it is. Pratt is joined by Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence in the film, directed by Morten Tyldum, that is both a love story and a spectacular adventure. It’s funny, thrilling and visually stunning and features two of the biggest stars working in contemporary cinema.

“It’s an epic in that it really has everything in one movie,” says Pratt. “It’s adventure, romance, it’s a thriller and it’s emotionally resonant. There are great moments of humour and spectacle all wrapped up in one movie.

“Once we were able to attach Jennifer it opened up to be the big movie that it was always meant to be and needs to be in order to be executed properly. I loved the script. I think it’s really good,” says Pratt.

“Usually there’s at least a few things that stand out that you want to have a conversation about but with this my only note was ‘I’ll do it – but don’t change anything.’”