Jennifer Lawrence Done with Franchises, Reflects on Loss of Control

Jennifer Lawrence is getting back to her indie roots -- not so much because she has to, but wants to ... as it appears going mainstream in Hollywood has taken its toll on her.

The A-lister is in London plugging her latest flick, "Causeway," which sees her taking on a very quiet, dramatic role ... playing a U.S. soldier with PTSD and getting acclimated to regular life again. It's drastically different than anything she's done in recent years.

What we mean, of course, is that this isn't a major blockbuster by any stretch of the imagination -- it's an A24 film, with a way smaller budget and limited release via Apple.

Beyond just that, though, this is territory that JLaw hasn't ventured into in a while. Fact is, she's been one of the industry's highest-paid actresses for quite a while now ... which, of course, is due to her starring in major franchises like "X-Men" and "The Hunger Games."

Her Academy Award for Best Actress -- for her lead role in "Silver Linings Playbook" -- also shot her into a new stratosphere ... making her one of the most desirable hires in the biz.

As it turns out ... Jen is actually looking back on all that with a fresh perspective -- this on the heels of giving birth to a baby, and getting hitched. During a staged sit-down Saturday, Jen was quoted as feeling a sense of instability after achieving the pinnacle of acting fame.

Per Variety, she said ... "I think I lost a sense of control. Between "The Hunger Games" coming out and winning the Oscar, I became such a commodity that I felt like every decision was a big, big group decision. When I reflect now, I can’t think of those following years, [because there was] just a loss of control."

There's another quote floating around that's being attributed to JL -- and it touches on her future in movies ... which seems to swear off doing anymore big-time popcorn films.

Jen reportedly said during this same chat, "I loved superhero movies. Franchise is art and they’re so fun; I could never do one now because I’m too old and brittle. I love them too. This generation understandably likes a world to escape to, and I can relate to that."

That's pretty interesting. It sounds like she's going to be far more selective with the projects she signs onto going forward -- which could mean more Oscar-bait-y flicks like "Causeway."