Jennifer Lawrence has finally opened up about one of the biggest professional regrets of her career: starring in the 2016 sci-fi romance Passengers. At the height of her Hollywood success, Lawrence seemed almost unstoppable, thanks in large part to The Hunger Games franchise and a string of major films. Yet Passengers became a project that left her questioning her career, her choices, and even how she had reached the level of fame she was experiencing.
What makes the story even more surprising is that Lawrence reportedly had a warning from someone close to her. Her friend Adele, the globally successful singer, apparently advised her not to take the role. According to Lawrence, Adele had a strong feeling that Hollywood’s fascination with space-themed movies was beginning to resemble the earlier obsession with vampire stories.
“Adele told me not to do it!” Lawrence recalled. Despite her friend’s warning, the actress decided to move forward with the project. At the time, her incredible momentum may have made the opportunity seem impossible to turn down.
Passengers was marketed as a sweeping romantic adventure set in space, with Lawrence and Chris Pratt playing two passengers traveling aboard a massive spacecraft. However, the film’s central premise quickly became one of its most controversial elements. Pratt’s character awakens Lawrence’s character from cryosleep long before she is supposed to wake, effectively forcing her to spend the remainder of the journey with him.
What was intended to be a romantic relationship struck many viewers as deeply uncomfortable. Instead of seeing the story as a traditional love story, audiences questioned the morality of the decision that set the entire relationship in motion. The controversy became a major part of the film’s legacy and overshadowed much of its visual spectacle and star power.
For Lawrence, the experience went beyond disappointing reviews. She has described experiencing a period of intense self-doubt after the movie, questioning how much of her success was actually under her control. She began wondering whether her status as a major movie star was truly earned or whether the enormous success surrounding her had simply carried her along.
Ironically, Passengers was not a complete financial disaster. Despite receiving a largely negative critical response, the movie earned hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide. That created a strange divide between its commercial performance and its reputation among critics and many viewers.
Years later, fans continue to debate the film on social media, with some defending the chemistry between Lawrence and Pratt while others remain uncomfortable with its central premise. The movie has developed something of a cult following despite its controversial reception.
For Lawrence, however, Passengers remains an important lesson. Even at the height of her career, she could make a choice that did not turn out as expected. And perhaps the biggest takeaway is that when a trusted friend like Adele tells you a project feels wrong, it might be worth listening.
