Chris Pratt spent most of his new film strapped to a chair. Not, like, pretending. He was actually restrained, wrists and ankles locked down, take after take. He specifically asked for it that way, he said (via People).The choice sounds extreme, maybe even a little method-actor-gone-wild. But Pratt's approach to making Mercy might teach you something.In the film, which releases Jan. 23, 2026, Pratt plays a detective on trial for murdering his wife. It's 2029, and an AI judge presides over the 90-minute hearing where he must prove his innocence or face immediate execution. The entire thing unfolds with Pratt locked in futuristic restraints. - YouTube www.youtube.com Why Pratt Went Method During a panel at New York Comic-Con, Pratt explained his reasoning. "I asked them to confine me in it," he said (via People). "So I couldn't, I didn't have to pretend that I was strapped down." The production team offered him a quick-release mechanism. He declined. "I don't wanna get out. I want you to lock me in so I can't get out. That would be helpful to me in giving this performance that I'm completely stuck here."Okay! Whatever gets you there."There's a certain level of claustrophobia that you just naturally feel when you're strapped down to something, and that was helpful, in fact," Pratt said.Using a Limitation According to Deadline, director Timur Bekmambetov leaned into the constraint by shooting the film like a stage play, with 60-minute full-length takes. Single-location films compel characters to remain in one place,...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today