Image Source: The Verge
This weekend marks the release of “Jurassic World: Dominion,” which stars Chris Pratt, one of Hollywood’s most renowned actors.
Pratt, who portrays dinosaur handler Owen Grady, has gone from a fat goofball to a toned and bankable action hero with two major blockbusters under his belt. According to Comscore, his film career has grossed more than $11.6 billion worldwide, including main parts in the Jurassic World and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchises (SCOR).
Pratt made his Hollywood debut in 2009 on the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” playing the lovable doofus Andy Dwyer. Pratt had a huge year at the box office in 2014, thanks to supporting roles in films including “Moneyball” and “Zero Dark Thirty.”
The actor played Emmet Brickowski in the animated blockbuster “The Lego Movie,” which grossed $469 million worldwide. Then, in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Pratt debuted as cocky space hero Peter “Star-Lord” Quill. Pratt’s career was changed forever by that film, which grossed $773.3 million worldwide.
However, that part was on the verge of being canceled. James Gunn, the director of “Guardians,” didn’t even want to see Pratt audition because he was overweight and primarily played comedy roles.
According to James Gunn, casting Pratt as the lead in a superhero film seemed absurd at the time, but a meeting with Pratt changed his mind, and the rest is history.
Pratt reportedly dropped 60 pounds in six months for the part and has maintained his action hero physique ever since. That’s fortunate because the following year, Pratt had to convincingly outrun dinosaurs.
“Jurassic World,” which starred Pratt and relaunched the Jurassic Park franchise, became one of the most successful blockbusters of all time. It made a then-record $208 million in its opening weekend before grossing $1.6 billion globally, making it the ninth highest-grossing picture of all time.
Since then, Pratt has been in successful sequels to “Jurassic World” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” as well as other Marvel films. According to The Hollywood Reporter, his most recent picture, “The Tomorrow War,” had “the best opening for an Amazon original tentpole,” and was exclusively available on Amazon Prime Video.
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“The Lego Movie: The Second Part” and the big-budget sci-fi feature “Passengers” were both box office flops for Pratt.
He has also been the subject of some debate. Gunn defended Pratt earlier this year after the actor was accused of being affiliated with a church that supports gay conversion therapy, an allegation Pratt rejected in 2019.
Pratt is now in a position to have a breakout year. Following “Dominion,” he will reprise his role as Star-Lord in Marvel’s “Thor: Love and Thunder,” which will be released in July.
“Dominion” is being marketed as a throwback, with Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum reprising their roles from the original 1993 “Jurassic Park,” and it may be the series’ final installment. So Pratt’s next movie might be fueled by this kind of buzz.
Pratt told NBC’s “Today” show earlier this month: “It’s been 30 years in the making.” “You’re bringing back the cast from the last series… Our plots come together in a way that feels like a conclusion.”