Mercy posts lowest opening weekend of Chris Pratt’s career as a leading man

Collider reports that Mercy, a sci-fi mystery starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, is projected to earn little more than $10 million in its opening domestic weekend, which would be the worst opening of Pratt’s career as a leading man.

The film grossed around $5 million on opening day, including $1.1 million from Thursday previews, and is on pace to finish its domestic debut around $12 million. The studio restricted reviews until the last moment and gave the movie little marketing support; the film holds a 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the aggregator's consensus reading, "Constricting its two stars inside an airless presentation of a clunky techno-thriller premise, Mercy is tedious enough to make you cry uncle." Mercy also ended James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash five-week winning streak, with that film expected to drop to number two.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and released January 23, 2026, Mercy follows the trial of a man accused of murdering his wife who must prove his innocence to an AI-powered judge. The result has been described as a major setback for Pratt after a decade of box-office hits; his previous worst domestic opening as a leading man was Passengers, which opened to $15 million and later surpassed $100 million. Mercy is in theaters.

Key Topics

Culture, Mercy, Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Timur Bekmambetov, Rotten Tomatoes