Chris Pratt gambles everything on AI judge in 90-minute trial thriller

Amazon MGM Studios announced on December 9, 2025, the second theatrical trailer for "Mercy," starring Chris Pratt as a Los Angeles detective fighting to prove his innocence before an artificial intelligence judge. The science fiction thriller arrives in theaters on January 23, 2026, with IMAX and 3D presentations marking Amazon's continued investment in theatrical content that later drives Prime Video advertising opportunities.

The film positions Pratt as Detective Raymond, a Los Angeles Police Department officer accused of murdering his wife. According to the trailer materials and plot synopsis, the detective has exactly 90 minutes to prove his innocence to Judge Maddox, an advanced AI judicial system he previously championed. Rebecca Ferguson plays the AI judge determining Raymond's fate within the compressed time window.

Director Timur Bekmambetov helmed the production from a screenplay by Marco van Belle. The cast includes Annabelle Wallis as Raymond's wife, Kylie Rogers as his daughter Britt, along with Kali Reis, Chris Sullivan, Kenneth Choi, Rafi Gavron, and Jeff Pierre in supporting roles. Production companies Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Atlas Entertainment, and Bazelevs Company collaborated on the 100-minute feature, with Charles Roven, Robert Amidon, Bekmambetov, and Majd Nassif serving as producers.

Principal photography began on April 18, 2024, in Los Angeles, with Khalid Mohtaseb handling cinematography. Pratt suffered an ankle injury on the fourth day of filming, posting documentation of a swollen ankle to social media. Production wrapped on May 23, 2024, according to statements from editor Lam T. Nguyen.

The theatrical strategy reflects Amazon MGM Studios' dual-platform approach to content distribution. Amazon announced eight fall films across Prime Video and theatrical releases in August 2025, demonstrating how theatrical marketing campaigns drive brand awareness while streaming releases enable precise audience targeting through Amazon's advertising technology. Theatrical content that later transitions to Prime Video creates multiple advertising touchpoints throughout the content lifecycle, maximizing return on production investment while providing diverse inventory types for advertiser targeting requirements.

Prime Video introduced advertisements in January 2024, creating substantial new inventory for marketers while developing measurement tools to quantify campaign impact. The platform reached more than 200 million customers worldwide according to Amazon's announcements. CEO Andy Jassy stated during earnings discussions that the company felt quite pleased with early advertising progress. The third quarter 2025 advertising revenue reached $17.7 billion, representing 22% year-over-year growth.

The January 23 release date positions "Mercy" strategically within the first quarter theatrical calendar. The film originally carried an August 15, 2025, release date before Amazon shifted the launch to January 2026, according to announcements from January 25, 2025. IMAX Corporation included "Mercy" in its October 2025 investor presentation, confirming the premium large-format exhibition strategy. Sony Pictures Releasing International handles distribution outside the United States.

The narrative premise centers on a near-future Los Angeles in 2029, where artificial intelligence systems have assumed judicial responsibilities. The compressed 90-minute timeframe creates narrative urgency as Raymond argues his case before the AI system. The irony of a detective facing judgment from technology he previously supported forms the core dramatic tension. Trailer footage shows action sequences, courtroom confrontations, and flashback elements revealing the relationship between Raymond and his wife.

The marketing emphasizes both theatrical spectacle and technological themes. Promotional materials highlight the IMAX presentation and 3D availability, targeting audiences seeking premium viewing experiences. The tagline "AI is the future of criminal justice, and it's closer than you think" positions the film within contemporary discussions about artificial intelligence deployment in government systems. The December 9 trailer release generated 17.7 million views within its first weeks, according to YouTube metrics.

Industry observers noted the second trailer demonstrates stronger narrative construction compared to the initial promotional materials released earlier. YouTube comments highlighted that the December trailer reveals less plot information while maintaining audience interest, avoiding the common pitfall of showing excessive story beats in chronological order. The promotional strategy suggests Amazon learned from initial audience feedback, refining the marketing approach for maximum theatrical impact.

The film's themes intersect with current debates about AI implementation in criminal justice systems. While "Mercy" presents a fictional 2029 scenario, discussions about AI-assisted legal decisions, predictive policing algorithms, and automated sentencing recommendations occur actively within policy circles. The entertainment product allows Amazon to engage audiences on these topics while generating content that will eventually feed Prime Video's advertising inventory.

Amazon's streaming advertising infrastructure has expanded significantly throughout 2025. Prime Video viewership signals launched in Amazon Marketing Cloud on November 11, 2025, introducing content engagement data that enables advertisers to analyze viewing patterns across the platform's catalog. The integration provides three primary data types: content title information, content type classification, and show-level engagement metrics. These measurement capabilities allow advertisers to examine relationships between streaming consumption and purchase patterns, investigating whether specific content genres correlate with shopping behaviors.

The theatrical-to-streaming pipeline matters for marketing professionals because it demonstrates how content studios now optimize productions for multiple revenue streams and advertising contexts. Theatrical releases generate awareness through traditional marketing channels including television spots, outdoor advertising, and social media campaigns. Box office performance provides initial revenue while establishing brand recognition. Subsequent streaming availability on Prime Video creates advertising inventory that can be precisely targeted using Amazon's first-party retail data, streaming viewership information, and geographic signals.

Smart television home screens have emerged as critical discovery surfaces for theatrical releases. Research released December 17, 2025, from LG Ad Solutions demonstrates that 96% of moviegoers notice promotions on their TV home screens, fundamentally reshaping how studios allocate marketing budgets across the entertainment lifecycle. Television advertisements emerged as the dominant discovery channel for new movies, with 79% of respondents citing TV ads as a source for learning about upcoming releases. Among viewers who saw home screen advertisements, 33% attended a theatrical screening after exposure to the promotion.

The advertising infrastructure supporting theatrical releases and subsequent streaming availability has grown increasingly sophisticated. Amazon enabled zip code-level ad targeting for Prime Video on October 31, 2025, allowing advertisers to customize national TV commercials with local pricing and details across thousands of zip codes. National advertisers can create thousands of variations based on zip codes or tens of variations by state, addressing the challenge where national campaigns struggle to communicate local value propositions effectively.

Connected television advertising capabilities extend beyond basic geographic targeting. Interactive video formats arrived on Prime Video in May 2024, introducing pause ads, brand trivia ads, and remote-activated shopping capabilities. Research from Amazon Ads indicated a 10x increase in product page views and conversions for brands using interactive formats compared to traditional streaming television advertisements. These measurement capabilities matter because they demonstrate how streaming platforms use AI to maintain viewer attention and reduce friction in content consumption, directly impacting advertising effectiveness on platforms serving commercial inventory.

The film arrives during significant transformation in advertising technology infrastructure. Programmatic advertising growth reached 72% in 2025, with connected television's share of media budgets projected to double from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025, according to industry projections. This rapid expansion creates operational complexity requiring sophisticated technology solutions for campaign management and measurement. Amazon consolidated its advertising platforms in December 2025, merging the Amazon DSP and Ads Console into unified Campaign Manager that fundamentally reshaped how advertisers interact with the platform.

Artificial intelligence themes in entertainment content create natural alignment with AI-powered advertising infrastructure. Amazon expanded Creative Agent capabilities to support Streaming TV and Sponsored TV advertising formats on November 11, 2025. The agentic artificial intelligence tool enables professional-quality video asset creation through natural conversation, addressing creative barriers that typically require weeks of production work and thousands of dollars in agency fees. The underlying video analysis and editing technologies share common foundations with AI-powered content features Amazon has deployed across its streaming infrastructure.

The marketing campaign for "Mercy" demonstrates how studios navigate the balance between theatrical exclusivity and streaming availability. Theatrical windows traditionally provided studios with sequential revenue streams: theaters first, then premium video on demand, followed by subscription streaming platforms. Amazon's dual role as theatrical distributor and streaming platform owner creates different incentive structures. The company benefits from theatrical box office performance while also capturing subsequent streaming viewership and advertising revenue when the title arrives on Prime Video.

Premium content featuring established talent commands higher advertising rates. Chris Pratt's participation provides marketing value both for theatrical releases and subsequent streaming availability. The actor's previous work in major franchises including "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Jurassic World" established audience recognition. Rebecca Ferguson brings credentials from the "Mission: Impossible" and "Dune" franchises, while director Timur Bekmambetov's filmography includes "Wanted," "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," and the Russian "Night Watch" series.

The compressed trial format creates structural advantages for streaming consumption. A 100-minute runtime with a 90-minute narrative deadline maintains pacing appropriate for home viewing. The courtroom setting with flashback sequences provides natural break points for interrupted viewing sessions while maintaining coherent narrative flow. These production choices reflect awareness that content increasingly serves both theatrical and streaming consumption patterns.

Amazon's fall 2025 entertainment slate featured high-profile directors and established talent designed to attract premium advertising partnerships. The content strategy encompassed multiple genres targeting different audience segments, from action-thrillers to romantic comedies and documentaries. Documentary content provides targeted advertising placement opportunities for brands seeking engaged adult audiences, while action content delivers different demographic compositions and viewing contexts.

The science fiction genre provides particular value for streaming advertising inventory. Genre audiences demonstrate high engagement rates with franchise content and streaming platforms. Science fiction titles generate discussion on social media platforms, extending marketing reach beyond paid advertising through organic conversation. The AI judicial system premise offers differentiation within the crime thriller category while addressing topics generating mainstream media coverage about artificial intelligence implementation in government systems.

Production timing demonstrates Amazon MGM Studios' long-term content planning. Photography beginning in April 2024 for a January 2026 release provides approximately 21 months from production start to theatrical availability. This timeline accommodates extensive post-production work for visual effects, sound design, and editorial refinement while leaving space for marketing campaign development. The trailer release on December 9, 2025, provides 45 days of theatrical marketing runway before the January 23 launch.

The IMAX presentation strategy targets premium theatrical audiences willing to pay higher ticket prices for enhanced viewing experiences. IMAX screens typically command ticket price premiums of several dollars above standard theatrical presentations, improving per-screen revenue averages. The 3D availability extends exhibition options, though 3D presentations have declined in popularity compared to peak years in the early 2010s. The format remains viable for certain content types, particularly science fiction and action films where visual spectacle justifies the presentation method.

Amazon operates at a $69 billion annual advertising revenue run rate as of the fourth quarter of 2024, more than doubling from $29 billion four years earlier according to financial disclosures. This growth trajectory demonstrates how the company transformed from primarily an e-commerce platform to a comprehensive media and advertising company. Content investment supports advertising revenue growth while providing competitive differentiation in the streaming market, positioning Amazon to capture increasing advertising budgets shifting from traditional television to streaming platforms.

The theatrical release provides additional benefits beyond box office revenue. Critical reception and audience word-of-mouth established during theatrical runs influence subsequent streaming performance. Films that underperform theatrically may struggle to attract streaming audiences, while theatrical success creates momentum that carries through the content lifecycle. The marketing exposure generated by theatrical releases creates awareness that translates to streaming discovery when titles become available on Prime Video.

Industry analysts note that Amazon's position as both content creator and advertising platform owner creates unique advantages unavailable to traditional studios or standalone streaming services. The company's e-commerce infrastructure provides shopping behavior insights that inform advertising strategies across Prime Video inventory. First-party data integration distinguishes Amazon's advertising capabilities from competing streaming platforms that lack equivalent retail transaction data. This integration enables advertisers to examine relationships between content viewing and purchase behavior, providing measurement capabilities that justify premium advertising rates.

The film's exploration of AI-powered judicial systems arrives as advertising platforms deploy increasingly sophisticated AI tools for campaign management and optimization. The thematic alignment between content and advertising infrastructure creates natural marketing opportunities. Brands developing AI products or services may find particular value in advertising adjacency to content exploring AI implementation challenges and societal implications. The narrative tension between human judgment and algorithmic decision-making mirrors debates occurring within advertising technology about automation versus human oversight.

"Mercy" represents a test case for Amazon MGM Studios' theatrical commitment following the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquisition. The production budget, while undisclosed, likely reached substantial levels given the cast, director, production companies involved, and IMAX presentation requirements. Box office performance will influence future theatrical investment decisions as Amazon evaluates whether theatrical releases justify their costs compared to streaming-exclusive productions that deliver advertising inventory without theatrical distribution expenses.

The January release date positions the film outside the crowded summer and holiday theatrical windows while avoiding direct competition with major franchise releases. The first quarter typically sees fewer major releases compared to peak seasons, potentially providing "Mercy" with reduced competition for audience attention and screen availability. However, January also experiences lower overall theatrical attendance compared to summer months, creating tradeoffs between competition levels and total available audience.

Timeline

• January 25, 2024: Amazon MGM Studios announces "Mercy" with Chris Pratt starring in science fiction thriller directed by Timur Bekmambetov
• March 4, 2024: Rebecca Ferguson joins cast in undisclosed role opposite Chris Pratt
• April 18, 2024: Principal photography begins in Los Angeles with Khalid Mohtaseb as cinematographer
• April 22, 2024: Chris Pratt suffers ankle injury on day four of filming, posts photo to social media
• May 23, 2024: Production wraps after five weeks of filming
• August 1, 2024: Amazon introduces programmatic guaranteed deals for Prime Video advertising inventory
• January 2024: Prime Video launches advertising tier reaching estimated 115 million monthly viewers in United States
• January 25, 2025: Amazon shifts release date from August 15, 2025, to January 23, 2026
• October 2025: IMAX Corporation includes "Mercy" in investor presentation confirming premium format
• November 11, 2025: Amazon Marketing Cloud launches Prime Video viewership signals enabling content engagement analysis
• December 9, 2025: Amazon MGM Studios releases second theatrical trailer generating 17.7 million YouTube views
• January 23, 2026: "Mercy" releases exclusively in theaters with IMAX and 3D presentations

Summary

Who: Amazon MGM Studios produces "Mercy" starring Chris Pratt as Detective Raymond and Rebecca Ferguson as AI Judge Maddox, with director Timur Bekmambetov, writer Marco van Belle, and producers Charles Roven, Robert Amidon, Bekmambetov, and Majd Nassif. The cast includes Annabelle Wallis, Kylie Rogers, Kali Reis, Chris Sullivan, Kenneth Choi, Rafi Gavron, and Jeff Pierre. The film targets theatrical audiences seeking premium viewing experiences before transitioning to Prime Video's advertising-supported streaming platform.

What: A 100-minute science fiction thriller set in 2029 Los Angeles where Detective Raymond stands trial accused of murdering his wife, with 90 minutes to prove his innocence to an advanced AI judge he previously championed. The production features IMAX and 3D presentations, emphasizing visual spectacle while exploring themes of artificial intelligence in criminal justice systems. Sony Pictures Releasing International handles distribution outside the United States, while Amazon MGM Studios manages domestic theatrical release before eventual Prime Video availability.

When: Announced January 25, 2024, with principal photography occurring April 18 through May 23, 2024, in Los Angeles. Originally scheduled for August 15, 2025, theatrical release, Amazon shifted the date to January 23, 2026, providing extended post-production time and positioning the film outside crowded summer competition. The second theatrical trailer arrived December 9, 2025, beginning the 45-day marketing campaign before theatrical launch.

Where: Theatrical release occurs in the United States through Amazon MGM Studios on January 23, 2026, with international distribution via Sony Pictures Releasing International. IMAX and 3D presentations provide premium exhibition options across participating theaters. Production took place in Los Angeles during spring 2024, with the narrative set in 2029 Los Angeles featuring courtroom scenes and urban action sequences. The film will subsequently arrive on Prime Video's advertising-supported streaming platform, though specific streaming availability dates remain unannounced.

Why: Amazon MGM Studios pursues dual-platform content strategy where theatrical releases generate awareness and box office revenue before transitioning to Prime Video to create advertising inventory. The approach maximizes content return on investment while providing multiple advertising touchpoints throughout the content lifecycle. Theatrical marketing drives brand recognition, while streaming availability enables precise audience targeting through Amazon's advertising technology integrating retail data, streaming viewership, and geographic signals. The strategy positions Amazon to capture advertising budgets shifting from traditional television to streaming platforms, supporting the company's transformation into a comprehensive media and advertising company operating at approximately $70 billion annual advertising revenue.