Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper certainly appear to have a connection on-screen. Both were Oscar-nominated for Silver Linings Playbook - with Lawrence going on to win the award - and American Hustle and their latest movie Serena appears to have been primed for another run at the Academy's top prizes.

SerenaJennifer Lawrence as 'Serena'

Based on Ron Rash's novel, the movie follows North Carolina timber magnate George Pemberton during the Depression in the States. He falls for a bright young woman who causes a stir amongst the locals who expect wives to be meek and subservient. As George struggles to steer his empire through tough economic times, things become more complicated when he learns Serena cannot bear children. 

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The movie, directed by Susanne Bier, has been years in the making. Lawrence and Cooper actually shot the movie right after Silver Linings and it generated frenzied interest from the major studios. The film took 18 months to finish, with many suggested the delay was a sign of a troubled production.

"Actually, it was just the opposite," said one insider, "There were no reshoots or anything like that. It was just a real precision edit because the story is about a woman's descent into madness. And Susanne is a total perfectionist."

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So nobody really knows why this took so long. Bier is known to be a bit of a perfectionist and won the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2011 for the stunning In a Better World. She also helmed the critically acclaimed romantic comedy Love Is All You Need, with Pierce Brosnan, Trine Dyrholm and Molly Blixt Egelind.

Next page: why Angelina Jolie dropped out of 'Serena' and watch the trailer