Chris Pratt Had An Odd Request For His Sci-Fi Movie Mercy

Soon, we’ll likely be living in a garbage future based on artificial intelligence, which will please people like Joe Russo. But before this terrifying scenario hits us, we can catch a glimpse of what it might be like in Chris Pratt’s upcoming movie “Mercy.” In the sci-fi thriller, the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star plays a character accused of murdering his wife who is forced to undergo a trial overseen by an artificial intelligence judge. In order to improve his performance, Pratt had him strapped into his chair and said that the “claustrophobia” he felt as a result was a huge help. Did he really make a good movie? We’ll have to see when the movie finally arrives in 2026, but at least we know Pratt was all in on this movie.

“Mercy” is directed by Russian-Kazakh director Timur Bekmambetov, who directed 2008’s “Wanted.” (He also produced Ice Cube’s “War of the Worlds,” one of the worst sci-fi films in recent history.) The film is set in Los Angeles in the year 2029 and Pratt plays Chris Raven, a detective who must argue for his innocence during A 90-minute trial is presided over by an advanced AI judge played by Rebecca Ferguson.

During an appearance at the 2025 New York Comic Con (via People), Pratt confirmed that he requested to be strapped into his chair for real in his trial scenes. “I asked them to lock me in it,” he explained during a panel discussion that also included his co-star Cali Reese and Bekmambetov. “I didn’t have to pretend to be tied down. I was tied to this chair at my feet and my hands. Partly and my head at the end, when I’m about to — well, I don’t want to spoil the movie — but, I’m tied to this thing.”

In the movie Mercy, Chris Raven is tasked with examining surveillance footage and databases to gather evidence that might exonerate him. The investigator must ensure that his guilt is less than 92% on the guilt scale; Otherwise, he will be executed at the conclusion of the trial. What’s ironic is that Raven was a defender and designer of Mercy’s technology and was responsible for sending the first suspect ever to trial. Now, this machine technology acts as judge, jury, and executioner with the power to decide Raven’s fate.

In order to heighten the tension in this sci-fi thriller, Chris Pratt seems intent on being physically restrained the entire time. As the actor explained during his appearance at NYCC, “There’s a certain level of claustrophobia that you naturally feel when you’re tied to something, and that was actually helpful.” He continued by explaining that the crew actually tried to show him how to get out in case he really needed to, but he remained committed. “They said, ‘Well, if you want to get out, just do this,'” he explained. “Like, I don’t want to get out. I want you to lock me up so I can’t get out. That will be helpful for me in doing this performance because I’m completely stuck in here.”

Whether or not taking such measures actually helped the film remains to be seen, but it’s an interesting look at the film. Hopefully, Pratt’s commitment will also be enough to ensure that “Mercy is better than the last project that Timur Bekmambetov was involved in making…

While showing things through shots through Chris Raven’s eyes may seem like an effective way to ramp up the tension in Mercy, it also feels a little reminiscent of War of the Worlds, which was similarly shown through low-res surveillance footage of Ice Cube’s desktop. Let’s just say that this infamous 2025 sci-fi thriller wasn’t the most exciting thing to watch, though Mercy wouldn’t be conditional on being filmed during coronavirus lockdowns. We also hope that Timur Bekmambetov will have mercy on viewers by keeping this film free of the same shameful and frankly bizarre product placement that appeared in “War of the Worlds.”

On the other hand, showing events through shots on screens within a film has already worked well in Aneesh Chaganty’s 2018 film “Searching” (produced by Bekmambetov) and its familiar and exciting sequel “Missing.” But given the over-the-top, ridiculous premise of “Mercy,” the odds seem stacked against what happens here, regardless of whether Pratt is physically restrained or not. However, even if Mercy doesn’t turn out well, we can at least imagine Pratt being tied to a chair for 90 minutes as punishment for his acting in Jurassic World Dominion.

Mercy is scheduled to be released in theaters on January 23, 2026.