Chris Pratt, star of the upcoming sci-fi thriller "Mercy," recently revealed a unique suggestion he made during the film's early planning stages: an AI "actor" to portray the tyrannical AI judge character. However, this innovative idea was quickly dismissed by the production team, ultimately leading to Rebecca Ferguson being cast in the role.

Pratt recounted the discussion with Entertainment Weekly, stating, "I remember talking about the various people who could play these characters, and early on, I was like, ‘Should we have it be an AI, where the judge is actually AI, and we create an AI?’ And everyone was like, ‘No, I don’t think so.'" He then jokingly added, "I was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good idea at all.'" Pratt emphasized that while such ideas are explored, they are part of a collaborative process to determine the best outcome, indicating it was never a serious possibility beyond initial brainstorming.

Beyond the AI actor concept, Pratt also shared another imaginative pitch from the initial development phase of "Mercy." He suggested, "What if [my character] could pick the judge, and I could pick Oprah, or I could pick anyone I want. Because ultimately it’s just a face on a [screen].’ And I thought that would be funny to have Oprah do it.”

Amazon MGM's "Mercy" casts Pratt as Chris Raven, a cop in the near future who finds himself on trial for the murder of his wife, played by Annabelle Wallis. Rebecca Ferguson's AI judge character gives Raven a tight 90-minute deadline to prove his innocence or face immediate execution. The film's narrative, centered on the oppressive nature of artificial intelligence, naturally brought the topic of emerging AI technology to the forefront during its press tour.

At the film’s New York premiere, Pratt confidently addressed concerns about AI replacing human actors, telling Variety that he is not worried about being supplanted. He dismissed the widespread panic surrounding synthetic AI performers, specifically referencing a figure named Tilly Norwood, calling such anxieties "all bullshit." Pratt asserted, "I don’t feel like someone’s gonna replace me that’s AI. I heard this Tilly Norwood thing, I think that’s all bullshit. I’ve never seen her in a movie. I don’t know who this bitch is. It’s all fake until it’s something."