Rebecca Ferguson’s Sci-Fi Failure Unlikely To Recover Reported Budget at the Box Office

2 days ago 4

Two flags frame Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson), who stares straight ahead, expressionless in Mercy

Published Feb 1, 2026, 10:53 AM EST

Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him).

After a poor opening weekend haul at the domestic box office, the sci-fi film Mercy saw a steep fall in its second frame. The movie stars Rebecca Ferguson and Chris Pratt in the lead roles, and has underperformed both critically and commercially. Mercy slipped out of the domestic top five this weekend, as it faced competition from Sam Raimi's Send Help and YouTuber Markiplier's Iron Lung. With around $5 million in its second weekend, Mercy's domestic total stands just below $20 million after 10 days. At this rate, the film will struggle to hit the $30 million mark in its lifetime box-office run, which means that the chances of it recouping its reported $60 million budget in theaters are slim, even with international revenue included.

Mercy follows a police officer (played by Pratt) who is put on trial for murdering his wife. The police officer is given a limited amount of time to prove his innocence before an AI-powered judge played by Ferguson. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, who previously worked with Pratt on the blockbuster 2008 film Wanted, Mercy opened to poor reviews. It's now sitting at a 24% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, although its audience score of 82% suggests stronger prospects on home video. Movies with higher audience scores tend to do well on the PVOD and streaming markets. Both Pratt and Ferguson have proven their popularity with hit streaming shows such as The Terminal List and Silo, not to mention their work in blockbuster big-screen franchises.

'Mercy' Has Overtaken a Couple of Cult Classics

Mercy won't end up derailing their careers. Both stars have sure-bets to look forward to this year. Pratt will return as the lead voice actor in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, while Ferguson is expected to reprise her role as Lady Jessica in Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three, and as Juliette in the third season of Apple TV's Silo. On the all-time worldwide box office charts, Mercy has overtaken past sci-fi titles such as the cult favorites Tron and Starman, both featuring Jeff Bridges. The movie has also outgrossed David Lynch's infamous Dune, and Stanley Kubrick's controversial classic A Clockwork Orange. You can watch Mercy in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.