The best unproduced script I've ever is finally getting made (PASSENGERS)

52,791 Views | 382 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by wessimo
TCTTS
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AG
I can get more into the plot specifics later - I even posted a breakdown here years ago and can't find it - but rest assured, not even a blind director could screw this one up. The story/concept is too good, and they finally have the PERFECT cast in place with Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence as the two leads (and basically the only two actors in the entire movie). Now, after years of waiting to see this thing get made (I first read the script in '08), Passengers has finally been given the greenlight by Sony, and officially starts shooting in September. Think Gravity meets The Martian meets Titanic (in that it's ultimately a romance aboard a giant cruise ship... in space). And with a fall start date, I'm betting it'll take that early October Gravity / The Martian release date next year as well. Seriously, this one's going to be special. And if anyone wants to read the script, hit me up at my spam account and I'll send it over: theohoff20@gmail.com. Would love to get a conversation going...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/jennifer-lawrence-chris-pratts-sci-802876
Aggie_Journalist
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AG
Is it a comedy? A drama? Old school sci fi?
Brian Earl Spilner
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AG
You've ever what? Written? Read?
Brian Earl Spilner
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AG
But seriously, heard about this a few days ago, and it sounds like it's gonna be fantastic.

Pratt is ridiculously hot right now, the guy can do no wrong at the box office.
TCTTS
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AG
quote:
You've ever what? Written? Read?

Damn it. And I missed the edit window too. I HATE having a typo in my thread titles.

(and it's "read," obviously)
TCTTS
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AG
quote:
Is it a comedy? A drama? Old school sci fi?

Sci-fi drama/romance with some comedic elements.
30_Days
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AG
they've been buzzing about this over on blu-ray.com for months now. Initially I wasn't sold on Jennifer Lawrence in a "hard sci-fi" role, but from what I hear from a few people who've read the script the characters and acting isn't very sci-fi at all, it's more romantic drama, so it should be right in her wheelhouse.
TCTTS
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AG
I have a minute, so here's the basic gist (and it's been a while since I've read it, so forgive any inaccuracies)...

It's set in the future. Maybe 100 years from now. There's a massive transport ship taking 3000 or so people (if not more) to a new planet, one that has already been colonized. So this is a pretty common thing. I can't remember the exact duration, but the trip takes 100 years or so, and everyone aboard is cryogenically frozen, sleeping in pods, ala Alien. However, one day, Chris Pratt's character's pod randomly opens. He's the only one awake. But the ship's computer system acts as if everyone's awake and, like any cruise ship, has all kind of restaurants, shops, workout rooms, swimming pools, video games, etc (to be utilized in the weeks before arriving on the new planet).

Upon awakening, Pratt's character is guided by robots from station to station for the re-aclamation process, but the entire time he's wondering why the hell he's the only one awake. Turns out, his pod malfunctioned, woke him up, and triggered the ship's computer to start cooking all the food and opening all the living/shopping/gaming areas/etc. That's when Pratt's character realizes... this happened 80 years too soon. And there's no way to fix the pod. So the first 1/3 of the movie is Pratt's character coming to terms with the fact that he's likely going to die alone on this ship before it ever reaches its destination. Imagine that early scene in Prometheus, where David is just hanging out on the ship alone before everyone wakes up, mixed with a bit of Will Forte in The Last Man on Earth, and that's the basic vibe.

Each passenger's pod has a glass window, complete with a basic readout of their age/job/etc. And in all the attempts to fix his own pod, Pratt ultimately falls for/becomes infatuated with Lawrence's character, asleep in her nearby pod. So, after months - maybe even years - of being alone, finally, Pratt's character can't take it anymore and decides to open her pod. She wakes, he acts as if her pod malfunctioned as well, the two eventually fall in love, and, well, you can guess if she eventually learns the truth or not.

Overall, it's such a brilliant conceit. It goes from "Should I wake her?" to "Should I tell her?" and both scenarios are excruciatingly tense and milked for everything they're worth. And the ending... man, the ending... the final image/sequence is so, so good. I get so fired up just thinking about this movie again.
Van Buren Boy
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AG
Wow. I'm generally not a scifi fan, but that plot sounds really intriguing.
DustysLineup
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AG
So, is it just to be understood that Chris Pratt is in everything from here on out?
Sex Panther
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Heard about this for a while and pumped for this casting. Pretty sure I'd open her pod too although that's a tough moral dilemma.
Sex Panther
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Speaking of Pratt's schedule, TC do you know if he's still attached to Cowboy Ninja Viking? His plate's getting pretty full and I just really want to see a movie with that title.
G Martin 87
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AG
Email sent. Looking forward to reading it!
Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag
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This is the first thing I thought of

quote:
Jeff Megall: Sony has a futuristic sci-fi movie they're looking to make. Message From Sector Six. All takes place in a space station. They're actively looking for some co-financing.
Nick Naylor: Cigarettes in space?
Jeff Megall: It's the final frontier, Nick.
Nick Naylor: But wouldn't they blow up in an all oxygen environment?
Jeff Megall: Probably. But it's an easy fix. One line of dialogue. 'Thank God we invented the you know, whatever device.' [beat] Brad Pitt. Catherine Zeta-Jones. They've just finished ravishing each other's bodies for the first time. They lie naked, suspended in air underneath the heavens. Pitt lights up. He starts blowing smoke rings all around Catherine's naked, flawless body, as the galaxies go whizzing by over the glass-domed ceiling. Now, tell me that doesn't work for you.
Nick Naylor: I'd see that movie.
Jeff Megall: I'd buy the ******* DVD. [beat] You know, if the Academy didn't send them to me for free. [beat] You know, you guys ought to think about designing a cigarette to be released simultaneously with the movie.
Nick Naylor: Sector Sixes.
Jeff Megall: Nobody's ever done it with a cigarette.
Nick Naylor: Wow.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Dr. Not Yet Dr. Ag
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Can Chris blow smoke rings?
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
PatriotAg02
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AG
Wow! Yeah that's a must watch! I'm a huge sci-fi junkie. So when can we expect this to release (roughly)?
DustysLineup
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AG
Thank you for smoking!
TCTTS
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Just sent the script out to everyone who has asked for it so far. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts if/when you get the chance.

Also, just FYI, I forgot I had the 2013 draft as well, which is the one I sent out. The original '07/'08 draft is the one I read - and I haven't read this one - so it might be slightly different, though I'm almost positive it's 99% the same. Regardless, it's the latest draft available.
Fat Bib Fortuna
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I thought Jennifer Lawrence was contractually obligated to only appear in movies with Bradley Cooper.
CrottyKid
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AG
I hate it when the plot revolves around a lie/misunderstanding.
jeffk
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Anyone ever seen Rocket Man? It killed me as a 6th grader.



Anyway, most of the middle third of the movie revolves around the main character being awake during the long journey to Mars and obsessing over his still-sleeping mission mate he has a crush on. Hilarity ensues.
Zeke1995
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quote:
Can Chris blow smoke rings?


I don't have that information.
Brian Earl Spilner
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AG
The plot sounds very intriguing.

And how on Earth is Pratt gonna do Cowboy Ninja Viking, Passengers, Guardians 2, and [probably] JW 2 in a span of what, 2 years?
bearamedic99
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AG
Not to hijack, but I would like to know more about Cowboy Ninja Surfer Pirate Conquistador Mongol Viking
The Collective
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quote:
Pratt is ridiculously hot right now


Hey now
jackie childs
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pretty sure this movie is going to wind up inspiring Speed 3: Space Cruise Control
LHIOB
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AG
quote:
they've been buzzing about this over on blu-ray.com for months now. Initially I wasn't sold on Jennifer Lawrence in a "hard sci-fi" role, but from what I hear from a few people who've read the script the characters and acting isn't very sci-fi at all, it's more romantic drama, so it should be right in her wheelhouse.
Hard Sci-Fi

Sex Panther
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AG
quote:
quote:
they've been buzzing about this over on blu-ray.com for months now. Initially I wasn't sold on Jennifer Lawrence in a "hard sci-fi" role, but from what I hear from a few people who've read the script the characters and acting isn't very sci-fi at all, it's more romantic drama, so it should be right in her wheelhouse.
Hard Sci-Fi




Fantasy is bull****
TCTTS
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Just sent the script out to the latest round of requests.
TCTTS
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AG
quote:
Speaking of Pratt's schedule, TC do you know if he's still attached to Cowboy Ninja Viking? His plate's getting pretty full and I just really want to see a movie with that title.

Technically, yeah, he still is, but I have no idea if he's going to still be involved. Here's his current schedule...

- The Magnificent Seven (currently filming)
- Passengers (shoots fall 2015)
- Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (shoots winter/spring 2016)
- Jurassic World 2 (will likely shoot spring 2017)

So, it looks he'll finally be available by summer 2016, but I'd be seriously surprised if CNV doesn't fall apart before then. Jurassic World 2 probably won't shoot until spring 2017, for a summer 2018 release (I just can't see them getting it ready to shoot by next spring), so he'll likely have a pretty big gap before then, but obviously anything could happen between now and then.
MW03
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quote:
That's when Pratt's character realizes... this happened 80 years too soon. And there's no way to fix the pod. So the first 1/3 of the movie is Pratt's character coming to terms with the fact that he's likely going to die alone on this ship before it ever reaches its destination. Imagine that early scene in Prometheus, where David is just hanging out on the ship alone before everyone wakes up, mixed with a bit of Will Forte in The Last Man on Earth, and that's the basic vibe.

Sounds like a bit like Moon.
G Martin 87
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AG
About 25% through and really enjoying it so far. I can easily see Pratt as Jim. But Jim seems to be an everyman kind of role; I could also see a younger Will Smith, Tom Hanks, or even Jim Carrey pulling it off. Now before you scoff, remember the part of the script I've read so far is mostly full of Jim's confusion and frustration. Jim Carrey saying "There are no new drinks" with a grief-stricken face would be pretty funny. Pratt will bring a deeper, more nuanced interpretation to the role, I'm sure.
TCTTS
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israeliag
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Always good to see science-fiction that isn't just fantasy in space.

...although living with Jennifer Lawrence in zero-g might constitute fantasy.
Complete Idiot
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Pay for stars:



Hollywood studio Sony looks set to move forward with a rare big budget original project after greenlighting the space romance Passengers, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The high-risk $150m project is moving into pre-production at a time when studios are increasingly reluctant to finance films which do not have a pre-existing fanbase, especially those of a science fiction bent. The past few months alone have seen the box office failure of Disney's Tomorrowland and the Wachowskis' Jupiter Ascending, despite the presence of A-listers such as George Clooney, Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis on the cast lists.


In Lawrence and Pratt, Passengers boasts two of the hottest names in Hollywood, and Sony will have to pay through the nose for them. The Hollywood Reporter claims the studio has agreed to pay Lawrence her asking price of $20m, while Pratt will get $12m (up from $10m) in the wake of Jurassic World's all-time record-breaking $511m global opening at the weekend.
Sony will hope Passengers can ape the success of recent space dramas like Interstellar and Gravity, especially if the romance can repeat the achievements of Alfonso Cuaron's film and break into the Oscars reckoning. Hence, the presence of the Oscar-nominated Norwegian director of The Imitation Game, Morten Tyldum, in charge of the cameras. Without such critical acclaim the film would be unlikely to make money based on the presence of Lawrence and Pratt alone.
Passengers centres on a space traveller on a voyage to a distant planet taking place many years in the future who unexpectedly awakens from cryogenic sleep almost a century too early. Bereft of company, he decides to awaken a female fellow passenger, leading to an unexpected romance. Tyldum aims to shoot in September.
 
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