There’s a reason they woke up early. Putting aside the film’s glossy, futuristic aesthetic and the combined star power of Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt – arguably the two hottest stars in all of Hollywood – the true hook of Passengers concerns their intergalactic voyage to Homestead II.
On board a vessel known as the Starship Avalon with over 5,000 fellow commuters, Jim Preston (Pratt) and Aurora Dunn (Lawrence) are put under cryogenic sleep much like their fellow passengers, safe in the knowledge that by the time they wake up more than a century later, they’ll have arrived at their far-flung destination. Not all goes according to plan, however.
In the midst of a 120 year journey, a supposed technical malfunction forces both Jim and Aurora out of their deep and dreamless slumber, but the lovestruck pair soon learn that there’s a reason why they woke up so early. And therein lies the hook to Morten Tyldum’s high-profile tentpole.
Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Doctor Strange) is the brains behind the script, and it’s fairly easy to see the scribe’s sci-fi tendencies weave their way onto the screen. Given the nature of Passengers, much of the movie will no doubt hinge on its central duo, though the combined charisma of Lawrence and Pratt should, in theory, be enough to ensure the movie draws the moviegoing masses come release.
Passengers, also starring Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, and Andy Garcia, is due to dock in theaters on December 21. One glance at the calendar will tell you that Assassin’s Creed, Patriots Day and Universal’s star-studded Sing are among the features booked in for a similar release window. Can Morten Tyldum’s sci-fi see off the competition?
