‘Mercy’ Kicks Off Amazon MGM’s Big Year in Movie Theaters

“Mercy,” the new AI-themed crime thriller starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson, isn’t one of the most high-profile films on the early 2026 theatrical slate. But its release is a key date for theaters in their fight to rebuild the box office, as it marks the return of MGM as a full-scale theatrical distributor under the ownership of Amazon.

“Mercy” is the first of 10 wide release films currently slated by Amazon MGM for release this year, with other top releases including “Project Hail Mary” starring Ryan Gosling in March, “Masters of the Universe” in June and Colleen Hoover’s “Verity” in October.

And it comes not a moment too soon. With theaters still struggling amidst a lower quantity of wide releases from Hollywood, Amazon MGM’s push to expand its theatrical output has been sorely needed. B&B Theatres CEO Bob Bagby told reporters at CinemaCon last year that he hopes the studio can be “the next Fox,” as 20th Century Studios’ output has significantly diminished under Disney’s ownership since 2019.

Amazon MGM told exhibitors at CinemaCon last year that it looks to release 14 films in 2026 and 15 in 2027. It will get close to that first goal, as studio insiders told TheWrap that three more films are set to be added to the 2026 slate for a total of 13 wide releases.

Among the films on the slate, some will be key tentpoles that theaters will look to carry the box office through the spring and fall periods. “Project Hail Mary” is one of a group of non-sequel offerings alongside Disney/Pixar’s “Hoppers,” Universal’s “Reminders of Him” and Warner Bros.’ “The Bride!” that will be key to a stronger first quarter. Similarly, “Verity” will hopefully provide some secondary support in the autumn as it tries to match the $48.8 million domestic run of Hoover’s “Regretting You” last year.

“Mercy,” however, will probably be a quiet start to Amazon MGM’s campaign, fitting in among the genre films that open in January to low double-digit figures. Its legs could also be curtailed by weak word-of-mouth, as critics have given the film an early Rotten Tomatoes score of 22%.

Independent trackers have the film earning a $10-12 million opening this weekend, which might not be enough to end the reign of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” after five weekends atop the charts. For comparison, an opening in that range would be similar to last year’s Lionsgate thriller “Flight Risk,” which opened to $11.5 million and grossed $29.7 million domestic.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, “Mercy” stars Pratt as an LAPD detective framed for the murder of his wife. Strapped to a high-tech chair, he is put on trial by an AI judge, played by Ferguson, and is given all of LAPD’s surveillance and forensic resources to prove his innocence in 90 minutes or face execution.

Also opening this weekend is Cineverse’s “Return to Silent Hill,” the third movie based on Konami’s horror video game series and a direct adaptation of its most acclaimed installment, “Silent Hill 2.” The film is projected for a $7 million opening weekend, but the majority of the 11 reviews logged on Rotten Tomatoes criticize it as a poor adaptation of its source material.

This weekend will also see several Oscar contenders still in theaters try to capitalize on Thursday’s nomination announcement. The most prominent of them is Focus Features’ “Hamnet,” which has saved its widest theatrical expansion for this weekend in a strategy that used to be commonplace before the pandemic but has since been widely abandoned.

Focus is hoping that the film’s recent win at the Golden Globes, combined with nominations for several top categories including Best Picture, Actress, Supporting Actor and Director can help “Hamnet” leg out, particularly among older audiences looking for quality dramas in theaters. Since its Thanksgiving weekend release, “Hamnet” has grossed $15 million in the U.S. and Canada and is aiming to exceed the $20.3 million of Focus’ 2023 Oscar contender, “The Holdovers.”

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