Jurassic World star Chris Pratt and The LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay are reportedly circling the sci-fi film Ghost Draft. Pratt can currently be heard as the voice of Emmet Brickowski/Rex Dangervest in the animated sequel The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (which has surprisingly underperformed at the box office).
He famously once lived in a van, but Pratt has left those days far behind him and is now one of the biggest and most bankable stars in the world. Pratt first won a devoted fan following playing the ever-goofy Andy Dwyer on the NBC sitcom Parks and Rec, later exploding into super-stardom with his turn as Peter Quill aka Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. Pratt earned the lead in a second huge franchise when he took on the role of Owen the dinosaur trainer in the blockbuster reboot Jurassic World.
With Guardians of the Galaxy facing an uncertain future after the departure of James Gunn, and Jurassic World currently between entries, Pratt could now be taking on the lead in yet another potential tentpole film. Deadline reports that Pratt is negotiating for a role in Skydance’s Ghost Draft, which is described as a “grounded live-action sci-fi film.” The LEGO Batman Movie director Chris McKay is also circling the project, which is being fast tracked with production scheduled to start as soon as this summer.
Written by Deadfall scribe Zach Dean, Ghost Draft’s story kicks off when “a husband and father is drafted to fight a future war in which the fate of humanity may rely on his ability to correct issues of the past.” This makes it seem there could be a time travel element involved alongside the film’s “grounded” sci-fi. Pratt’s past experience in sci-fi is of course for the most part anything but grounded. Guardians of the Galaxy is pure over-the-top outer space fantasy, while Jurassic World also leans toward the absurd despite being set on Earth. Pratt’s other notable sci-fi vehicle Passengers, co-starring Jennifer Lawrence, was indeed more grounded but was also panned by critics and largely rejected by audiences.
Pratt of course has been planning another potential star vehicle with an adaptation of the comic Cowboy Ninja Viking, but that project is currently delayed. With Pratt seemingly set to take on Ghost Draft, it seems more unlikely than ever that Cowboy Ninja Viking will see the light of day, as Pratt already has another Jurassic World sequel lined up as well. As for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it remains to be seen whether Disney will bring the franchise back for another go-around in the wake of Gunn’s firing. Pratt himself claims the movie is coming back, using Gunn’s “off the chain” script, but nothing has been confirmed on that front.
With his potential new project Ghost Draft, Pratt would be moving outside the safe confines of the big blockbuster franchises he’s headed up before. On Guardians, Pratt had the benefit of a team of characters around him, making him simply part of an ensemble, while on Jurassic World he had the benefit of a big and firmly established name brand. In truth, Pratt has yet to headline a movie on his own and have it be a big hit. So Ghost Draft it seems would be a true test of his star power.
MORE: ELLEN PAGE CALLS OUT CHRIS PRATT’S CHURCH ON TWITTER
Source: Deadline
