Passengers: Jennifer Lawrence to earn $8m more than Chris Pratt after Sony equal pay drama

Months after leaked Sony emails revealed that Hollywood Jennifer Lawrence was offered less money than her male counterparts for her role in American Hustle, things are finally working in the favour of the Hollywood actress.

According The Hollywood Reporter, the Hunger Games star has negotiated a blockbuster payday for her next project, which will see her earn 60% more than male co-star Chris Pratt.

Her appearance fee for Passengers, a big-budget romantic sci-fi drama directed by Morten Tyldum, will be $20m (£13m) while Pratt will take home $12m. As an added bonus, the Oscar winner will also receive 30% of the profit after the movie breaks even.

Although Sony declined to comment, sources claim it is are under pressure to act as the filming is due to start in September.

In December 2014, email correspondences between Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal and Andrew Gumpert, president of business affairs at Columbia Pictures, showed Lawrence's representatives had complained about the pay gap.

"Got a steve warren/Gretchen [Lawrence's lawyers] rush call that it's unfair the male actors get 9% in the pool and jennifer is only at 7pts [percentage of the profits]," the email stated December 5, 2013 reportedly says.

"You may recall Jennifer was at 5 (amy was and is at 7) and WE anted in 2 extra points for Jennifer to get her up to 7. If anyone needs to top jennifer up it's megan. BUT I think amy and Jennifer are tied so upping JL, ups AA."

A spreadsheet listing the salaries of 6,000 employees, revealed 17 of those employees were raking in $1m or more but only one of those $1m-plus employees was a woman. Although Pascal acknowledged there the disparity was an issue, it is not known whether any adjustment was made.

Lawrence's pay deal come weeks after fellow actress Charlize Theron touched on the ongoing controversy over equal pay and rights for women in Hollywood, revealing she had experienced sexism first-hand when she starred in Snow White And The Huntsman.

"If you're doing the same job, you should be compensated and treated in the same way," she told Elle Magazine.

In February, Patricia Arquette used her best supporting actress acceptance speech to deliver a make a passionate plea for equal pay and rights for women.

"To every woman who gave birth to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else's equal rights," the mother-of two said. "It's our time to have wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America."