Chris' Post-'Jurassic' Plans Are Perfect

Every year, there are a few films that vie for title of "movie of the summer," and 2015 is no different. Back at the beginning of the season, no one was sure which one would loom largest — would it be Avengers: Age of Ultron? Pitch Perfect 2? The reboot of Fantastic Four? Yet by now, it's clear which film is going to take the crown: Friday's Jurassic World , which is looking like the biggest and coolest of all of summer's blockbuster contenders, thanks in large part to Chris Pratt, the former O.C. actor who, in the last few years, has become one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. Yet for fans hoping to see the actor's reign continue, one question looms large: after Jurassic World, when does the next Chris Pratt movie come out?

Unfortunately, not soon enough. Both of Pratt's new movies won't be out for a long, long time, and it's understandable why; in the last few years, Pratt has balanced filming blockbuster movies like Guardians of the Galaxy with starring on Parks and Recreation, gaining huge amounts of muscle, and caring for a newborn baby. Now that his training is over and the infant days are over, he has only two major projects on his plate: Passengers , a space drama co-starring Jennifer Lawrence with no release date set, and The Magnificent Seven , a Western with a star-studded cast set for 2017. It's easy to see why he'd want to slow his schedule down.

Of Pratt's two upcoming films, Passengers is the most interesting: an interstellar love story starring two massively popular actors, with an Oscar-nominated director, Morten Tyldum, at the helm. Yet it's had a troubled history, getting passed between studios and attracting different actors and directors. Still, it's a promising, exciting film, and hopefully, the rest of its production will go off without a hitch. And then there's The Magnificent Seven, a remake of the 1960 classic that's already winning raves for its racially diverse cast. It's not set to be released until January 2017, so don't start a countdown just yet, but with an ensemble that includes Pratt, Denzel Washington, and Ethan Hawke, there's plenty of reasons to be excited for what's to come.

For Pratt, these two movies are a perfect fit: a space drama and a Western crime film, fun, suspenseful movies that are bound to show off the actor's wide range of talents. And coming off of Jurassic World, they'll be just the movies Pratt needs to keep his career going as well as it is — and who doesn't want the guy responsible for bringing both Andy Dwyer and Peter Quill to life to have a future as bright as possible? Here are three reasons Pratt's upcoming films are exactly what he needs:

They'll Team Him With Great Actors

Pratt has worked with some high-quality actors in his career, from Brad Pitt to Joaquin Phoenix, yet typically, it's only been for a handful of scenes. Yet in both of his upcoming films, he'll get to work alongside some of the best names in the business for the length of an entire film, including Jennifer Lawrence, Denzel Washington, and Peter Sarsgaard. He'll surely learn a huge amount from them, and perhaps even form some great friendships in the process. We all know how epic a Pratt-Lawrence bond would be.

They'll Stretch His Acting Range

Right now, Pratt is known primarily for two things: being a lovable goof, and being a sarcastic action star. He hasn't had much of a chance to display his skills as a romantic lead or a serious drama actor, but Passengers and The Magnificent Seven will provide those opportunities (and anyone who saw him in Moneyball knows he's more than capable).

They'll Let Him Keep Saving The World

Yes, broadening one's skill set is good, but so if sticking to the stuff you know you're good at, and Pratt is great at saving the world. Whether it's solving crimes as Burt Macklin, F.B.I. or keeping dinosaurs at bay in Jurassic World, Pratt has a knack for world-saving. Thankfully, both of his upcoming films will likely involve him doing just that. What could be better?

Images: Getty Images; Columbia Pictures; Universal Pictures