Chris Pratt leads many Hollywood franchises, but one paralleled his own life in a strange and unintentional way

Chris Pratt has starred in a number of blockbusters following his breakout role in the comedy series “Parks and Recreation.”

Most recently, he played Garfield, everyone's favorite lasagna-loving grumpy orange cat, in “The Garfield Movie.”

Before that, Pratt led the “Jurassic World” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchises, and he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Here's a look at some of Pratt's starring roles.

CHRIS PRATT SUFFERED INJURIES ON FILM SET WHILE PERFORMING HIS OWN STUNTS

guardians of the galaxy

Pratt's first major project after his “Parks and Recreation” fame was “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The film and its two sequels are a franchise in their own right but also belong to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe film franchise.

Audiences were first introduced to Pratt's character Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, in 2014 when he formed an unlikely team to save a planet from destruction. After realizing that they work well together, the Guardians continue to travel the universe, acting as protectors. The characters were also featured in “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: End-Game,” and “Thor: Love and Thunder,” as well as a Christmas special on Disney+.

With a popular soundtrack and relatable humor, the franchise became a huge success, with the first film grossing over $773 million worldwide and earning a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The third film in the series, released in May 2023, surpassed the first film, grossing over $845 million worldwide.

While the group was disbanded in the final moments of the third film, the end credits promised fans that they weren't done seeing Peter Quill, revealing “The legendary Star-Lord will return.”

“As Guardians of the Galaxy has had several iterations in the comic book world, I think in the movie world they will remain a studio staple. How much we, the Guardians of the Galaxy, contribute remains to be seen , but they certainly can. “I’m not going to give up the franchise,” Pratt told the Associated Press in May.

“I love the tone Guardians of the Galaxy brought to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it would be a loss if they decided to never do that again, certainly,” he added. “Being a part of this has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life.”

CHRIS PRATT 'DENIED AUDITION' FOR 'GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY AT BEGINNING, CASTING DIRECTOR SAYS

Jurassic world

Pratt's most successful film franchise in terms of box office revenue began in 2015 with “Jurassic World,” a sequel to the blockbuster “Jurassic Park” trilogy. The first of four films in the franchise grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office and left audiences wanting more.

The film takes place in an amusement park featuring live dinosaurs, which have been genetically modified and enhanced to further intrigue park visitors. Things go wrong when the animals break out of their enclosures and start stalking park visitors.

Pratt plays Owen Grady, a former member of the military and an animal expert who helps the other characters escape. For various reasons, Grady returns to the island in the second film. In the third, dinosaurs have taken over the Earth, living and hunting everywhere alongside humans.

The third film saw the return of the franchise's original stars, Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum. While a fourth “Jurassic World” film is in the works, Pratt's statement following the release of the third film suggests he will not be involved.

“It's been 30 years in the making,” Pratt told “The Today Show” in June 2022. “It's the sixth Jurassic Park movie and the end of the franchise. You have the returning cast of the “legacy, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, as well as the cast of Jurassic World, our storylines converge in a way that truly feels like a finale.”

The Lego Movie

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In his first animated film, Pratt played Emmet Brickowski, an ordinary Lego construction worker who is recruited by a secret society after concluding that he is “the only one” to help in their resistance mission to eliminate the evil Lord Business.

Along the way, he meets Lego versions of many DC superheroes, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern, and befriends other Lego people in Bricksburg. The friends come together in the second film to save their town from alien invaders, destroying everything they hold dear.

“The first movie paralleled my life in a really strange and unintentional way, because Emmet Brickowski [is] given the opportunity to become a hero. And, in the middle of this two-year process for The Lego Movie, I was cast in Guardians of the Galaxy and I went through this body transformation, this career transformation,” he told MTV News in February 2019.

“It was interesting to see how this ordinary, optimistic, lovable man gets the chance to do something really great and is accepted as a hero.”

The first film was such a success that it not only led the studio to approve a sequel, but also two spin-offs, one focused on Lego Batman and the other on the popular Lego Ninjago toy line, although that Pratt did not voice any characters in these films.

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Super Mario Bros.

Pratt found his break again in the animated film genre when he played everyone's favorite Italian plumber, Mario, in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

Based on the popular Nintendo video game, the film follows brothers Mario and Luigi as they travel through the Mushroom Kingdom on a mission to save Princess Peach from the evil Bowser.

The film grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office and featured one of the most popular songs of the year on its soundtrack. Jack Black, who voiced the villain, sang “Peaches” for the film's soundtrack, which expresses the love he feels for Princess Peach.

The film's instant success led to the almost immediate announcement that a second film had been approved, paving the way for another successful franchise led by Pratt.

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“Oh, man! There's so much to explore. There are decades of [games] to explore, not just with Mario and Peach and Donkey Kong and Luigi and Bowser and Yoshi; this was teased at the end. But I'm so excited about it,” Pratt told ComicBook in May.

“[I was] thinking about how everything could be created, from Legend of Zelda to the entire Nintendo Cinematic Universe, and what it could look like for all of these characters that I love? I mean, there's really no limit. We could talk about it for hours. »