(Image Source: Amazon)
Timur Bekmambetov, the Russian director behind "Wanted," is set to return to Hollywood with his latest directorial effort, "Mercy," next year. This marks his first Hollywood feature since the 2016 remake of "Ben-Hur." The film's first trailer and promotional poster (below) were recently unveiled.
Written by Marco van Belle, the cast includes Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Annabelle Wallis, Noah Fearnley, and boxer Kali Reis, who gained significant recognition last year for her starring role in HBO's "True Detective: Night Country." Amazon MGM Studios will distribute the film in North America, with a release date set for January 23 next year. Sony Pictures will handle international distribution.
※ Watch the first trailer below ▼
(Image Source: Amazon)
Set in the near future, the film depicts a world grappling with a surge in murder rates. Pratt's detective character finds himself accused of a violent crime and must race against time to prove his innocence within 90 minutes. This premise, featuring a future police officer involved in crime prevention technology who is falsely accused, evokes "Minority Report," while the intense race against time in a confined scenario is reminiscent of "Source Code."
However, "Mercy" aligns more closely with Bekmambetov's recent string of "screenlife" films. Much like the protagonists in the "Searching" and "Unfriended" franchises, or the upcoming 2025 "War of the Worlds," Pratt's character must piece together clues and resolve the crisis by sifting through various windows and footage from surveillance, video calls, and phone recordings.