In the near future, a detective (Chris Pratt) stands on trial accused of murdering his wife. He has 90 minutes to prove his innocence to the advanced A.I. Judge (Rebecca Ferguson) he once championed, before it determines his fate.
That's the premise of Mercy, the latest movie from Night Watch filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov. Ahead of its release in theaters on January 23, we got to sit down with Pratt and Bekmambetov for a quick discussion about their latest project together (they previously crossed paths on 2008's Wanted).
From Guardians of the Galaxy to Jurassic World and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Pratt has starred in some of the world's biggest franchises. However, Mercy is something of a departure for the actor, as it's an original, high-concept sci-fi movie.
In the video below, we hear from him on that and his collaboration with Bekmambetov. The director, meanwhile, explains what made the MCU veteran the right person to bring Detective Chris Raven to life in Mercy.
Our time was limited, so we didn't have the opportunity to talk about Peter Quill. However, when we mentioned a Legendary Star-Lord movie in passing, Pratt's expression appeared to be a positive one, so watch this space!
Chris, you've had so much success in sci-fi and made Star-Lord an icon in the process, but what drew you to this more grounded sci-fi world and a character like Detective Raven?
Chris: I'm a huge fan of Timur. I worked with him years ago on Wanted, so getting to partner up with him again was very enticing. Every time I'm deciding on the next role, it always starts with the script. I loved this script. It was completely fresh—not based on some well-known IP, just a completely original movie. In the world we live in now, something like this feels relatable. It is science fiction, but it doesn't feel far-fetched. With the technology and Timur's screenlife films, we could turn it into a real blockbuster visual extravaganza.
This script is the perfect embodiment of that. My character interacts with the world entirely through screens because he's locked in a chamber that will kill him if he can't prove his innocence. Every bit of evidence and communication has to come through technology, so it was the perfect screenlife film. I've been a fan of Timur's forever, followed his work since we collaborated, and was dying to work with him again. It just checked every box.
That's awesome. For both of you, after working together on Wanted, how easy was it to develop the trust needed as actor and filmmaker, especially when so much of the story is told through these long, intense takes with Raven in the chair?
Chris: For me, it was very difficult to learn to trust Timur. I'm joking—it was very easy. Not everything we did day-to-day was a real challenge; what we ended up with was the result of collaboration and conversation. The rehearsal process was strenuous. We wanted to get it right and make sure everything worked, with Timur, the other actors, the writer, and the producers. That's where we hashed everything out. But once it was time to shoot, it worked seamlessly.
All the technology he's pioneered to tell a story like this was incredible. It was odd sometimes—we'd set up to shoot a big sequence outside, creating evidence in the world around my isolated chamber, happening simultaneously with what I'm experiencing. We'd realise we were shooting it on a GoPro, a doorbell camera, or a surveillance cam from the top of a car. It's exactly like making a regular movie, just using different technology to capture the imagery and make it look real and grounded in the digital world we already spend so much time in.
And Timur, does it help having a leading man like Chris Pratt to tell this story?
Timur: When I read the script, the first actor I imagined was, of course, Chris. It's a combination of being vulnerable but strong, and ready to open yourself up, because the whole movie is about self-recognition and reflection. It's tough—the idea is that he's in a chair, accused of killing his wife, and he doesn't know if he did it or not.
Chris: And who better not to know whether he killed his wife than me? You look at me and go, "Yeah, he could kill his wife." I just give off that vibe.
Thank you guys; this is an awesome film, and it's great to see you two back together. Maybe the third time you could do a Star-Lord movie, but for now, I cannot wait for people to see Mercy.
Chris: Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Timur: Thank you.
Amazon MGM Studios will release Mercy only in theaters on January 23.