If Ridley Scott's The Martian has taught us anything, it's that contrary to popular belief, science-fiction has the potential to do very well at the Oscars. The Martian received a massive seven nominations, so it's clear that a good story and a notable cast can go a long way. Passengers set for release in December 2016 appears eager to recreate such success. Passengers is directed by Morten Tyldum, the Norwegian film-maker responsible for 2014's Academy Award nominee The Imitation Game. It tells the tale of a spacecraft that's travelling to a distant colony, transporting thousands of people. A malfunction in one of the sleep chambers, however, wakes Chris Pratt's Jim Preston sixty years early. Preston eventually wakes Lawrence's Aurora, fearing he'll grow old and die alone. Passengers' two leads are currently Hollywood superstars. More importantly, its cast is extremely minimal, so there'll be a lot of screen time spent on Lawrence and Pratt, developing their relationship and upping the emotional stakes. There's sure to be plenty of room for two fantastic lead performances.
