MOVIE NEWS – Amazon MGM Studios’ CinemaCon 2025 showcase brought a slew of announcements, including Luca Guadagnino’s thriller ‘After the Hunt’ and a fresh preview of the live-action ‘Masters of the Universe’ movie. But it was Chris Pratt who stole the spotlight in the weirdest way imaginable.

Among the highlights of the evening was the introduction of Mercy, a techno-thriller starring Chris Pratt and set for release in January 2026. The film presents a highly original premise, and to capture the crowd’s attention, Pratt physically re-enacted one of the film’s central moments live on stage—strapping himself into the same interrogation chair featured in the movie.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Marco van Belle, Mercy tells the story of a detective (played by Pratt) accused of murdering his wife in a dystopian future where justice is administered by an AI system. With capital crimes rampant, defendants are forced to plead their case while restrained in a chair before the AI-led Mercy Capital Court—with only 90 minutes to prove their innocence.

On stage, Pratt demonstrated his commitment to the role by sitting in the actual movie prop, joking: “This is the exact chair we used during filming. I spent a lot of time in it, and let me tell you, it’s not the most comfortable.” But instead of a desperate courtroom plea, Pratt delivered heartfelt thanks to theater owners and moviegoers for keeping the theatrical experience alive.

‘Mercy’ Offers a Bold, Unusual Take on Sci-Fi Drama

In a humorous twist, the on-screen AI voice interrupted his speech with a blunt assessment: Pratt’s gratitude didn’t meet the “minimum acceptable threshold.” He quickly rattled off names of more theater chains to earn redemption. The audience enjoyed the moment, which struck a balance between clever marketing and sci-fi satire.

He concluded by saying, “Thank you to all the exhibitors here tonight. We appreciate everything you do for this industry. I love you, and I’ll see you at the movies on January 23, 2026.” If the film lives up to the creativity shown during this segment, Mercy could defy the typical January release curse and open 2026 with a sci-fi box office hit.

Starring alongside Pratt are Rebecca Ferguson, Annabelle Wallis, Kali Reis, Chris Sullivan, Kylie Rogers, Jeff Pierre, Rafi Gavron, Jamie McBride, and Kenneth Choi. With its focus on AI, courtroom urgency, and one-man storytelling, Mercy has the potential to deliver something refreshingly different in a crowded genre.

Source: THR