First look at Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt in sci-fi romance Passengers

The duo star as colonists trapped in an interstellar spaceship, in a film directed by The Imitation Game's Morten Tyldum

An inevitable pairing, it was only a matter of time until Hollywood stuck together its two most loveable red carpet goofs, Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt.

Set to ignite the screen with enough charisma to drown an adult elephant, Lawrence and Pratt's project Passengers is gearing up for an awards-friendly holiday release; and we've finally be granted a glimpse at the duo in action, thanks to Entertainment Weekly.

Directed by The Imitation Game's Morten Tyldum, Passengers sets its stars in a futuristic interstellar spaceship transporting 5,000 colonists to Homestead II, in a journey set to take 120 years; leaving its occupants in suspended animation until the ship reaches its destination.

However, Jim Preston (Pratt) is roused from his sleep by a malfunction and faces the prospect of a lifetime alone, his ship 90 years from its destination; that is, until the realisation another pod malfunctioned and New York writer Aurora Dunn (Lawrence) has also been awakened. No prizes for guessing what happens next, as the two slowly start falling in love.

Passengers had a long road to screen, with Jon Spaihts (Prometheus)'s screenplay for the film having been hot Hollywood property since it appeared on 2007's Black List of the best unfilmed scripts.

"It’s one of those stories that really grabs you and you fall in love with it," Tyldum told Entertainment Weekly of the script. "It’s very smart and funny and clever and such a page-turner I couldn’t put it down. Every 10 pages, something new happens! At the same time, it’s a very intimate movie while taking place on this epic scale."

"For me, it’s a story about what’s important to live a full life. What are the things we need as humans? It’s not afraid to entertain, but at the same time, it asks big questions about what does it mean to really feel happy. Every generation has its love story. I feel like this is it. I had to do it."

Though billed as co-leads, Lawrence's award-clout led her to earn nearly twice as much as Pratt, in a rather positive move for Hollywood gender equality; the actress has also spoken about her "bizarre" experience filming her first real onscreen sex scene.

Passengers hits UK cinemas 23 December.