Chris Pratt’s Next Sci-Fi Movie ‘Mercy’ Moves to 2026, Avoids Box Office Clash

Amazon MGM Studios has officially shifted the release date for Mercy, a sci-fi thriller starring Chris Pratt and directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Originally set to premiere on August 15, 2025, the movie will now hit theaters worldwide on January 23, 2026. This move clears the way for Universal’s action sequel Nobody 2 to take over the earlier date without competition.
Pratt stars as a detective in the near future, where violent crimes have surged. The plot revolves around his character being accused of a serious crime, forcing him to fight to prove his innocence.
The cast includes Rebecca Ferguson, Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Kenneth Choi, Chris Sullivan, Kylie Rogers, Jeff Pierre, and Rafi Gavron, bringing together a mix of talents from franchises like Dune, Mission Impossible, and True Detective: Night Country.
The new January release date puts Mercy in a quieter window, coming one week after big Martin Luther King Jr. weekend releases like Weapons from Warner Bros, Sony’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and a yet-to-be-named Disney film. This timing could help the movie dominate the box office without facing stiff competition.
The film is written by Marco van Belle and produced by Charles Roven, who recently scored an Oscar for Oppenheimer. Roven is producing alongside Atlas Entertainment’s Robert Amidon, Timur Bekmambetov, and Majd Nassif.
Fans might remember Pratt’s recent success with Prime Video’s The Tomorrow War, which became one of the platform’s most-viewed films during the pandemic.
Reports suggest that Pratt suffered an ankle injury while filming Mercy, but no further details have been shared. The project marks another collaboration between the actor and Bekmambetov, raising excitement among audiences eager for a gripping, futuristic thriller.
With its intriguing premise and talented cast, Mercy aims to captivate sci-fi enthusiasts when it arrives in theaters early 2026.
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