David O. Russell claims his decision to collaborate with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper on three straight movies is a throwback to Hollywood's past.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence

Russell has worked with the acclaimed duo on 'Silver Linings Playbook', 'American Hustle' and 'Joy' - and he thinks the move has echoes of another era of filmmaking.

David said: "When I look back at some of my favourite collaborations, I look back at William Wyler with Bette Davis, or [George] Cukor with [Katharine Hepburn].

"This is something that is magical and special."

David said his latest effort, 'Joy' - which centres on the story of Joy Mangano, the creator of the Miracle Mop - marks uncharted territory for him as a director.

He told the New York Post newspaper: "I had never done a story with a woman at the center of it. I'd never done a story that was glamorous in the fact that what she was doing wasn't earth-shattering ... but so difficult to accomplish."

In the movie, the central character - played by Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence - is a single mother of three children who also works as an inventor and an entrepreneur.