Rebecca Ferguson's Sci-Fi Flop Mercy Struggles at Box Office, Grosses Half of Tom Hanks' The Circle

5 days ago 6

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

Published Jan 29, 2026, 1:17 PM 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).

Despite the combined star power of Rebecca Ferguson and Chris Pratt, the recently released sci-fi film Mercy is struggling at the box office. The movie opened last week to poor reviews, but was able to claim the number one spot on the domestic box office chart in its first weekend. Mercy defeated James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash to take the crown. But it has so far grossed what could realistically be the equivalent of Avatar 3's catering budget. Mercy wasn't made on the cheap; the movie cost a reported $60 million to produce, and likely millions more to market. It's currently sitting at around $25 million worldwide, with just $13 million having come from domestic theaters.

For context, Mercy has grossed around half of the 2017 sci-fi flop The Circle, which starred Tom Hanks and Emma Watson. Based on a novel by Dave Eggers, the film was directed by James Ponsoldt, best known for his work in independent cinema and on Apple TV's Shrinking. The movie flopped with critics and audiences alike, grossing just around $45 million at the worldwide box office, against a reported budget of $18 million. Also featuring Karen Gillan, John Boyega, Bill Paxton, and Patton Oswalt, The Circle holds a 16% critics' score and a 21% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The aggregator's consensus reads, "The Circle assembles an impressive cast, but this digitally driven thriller spins aimlessly in its half-hearted exploration of timely themes."

'Mercy' Is Primed for Home Video Success

Mercy also aims for timeliness; it follows a police officer who is accused of murdering his wife and is put on trial before an AI judge. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, Mercy holds a 24% score on Rotten Tomatoes, whose consensus reads, "Constricting its two stars inside an airless presentation of a clunky techno-thriller premise, Mercy is tedious enough to make you cry uncle." Audiences, however, seem to be enjoying the movie — at least the few who turned up in theaters. Mercy holds an 82% audience score on RT, which suggests that it'll truly break out only when it lands on PVOD and streaming. Movies with high audience ratings tend to do well on home video.

You can still watch Mercy in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.