Chris Pratt isn’t losing sleep over AI. In fact, the star of the tech-thriller Mercy says he’s cautiously optimistic—even as Hollywood spirals into panic mode.
While much of Hollywood is locked in existential dread over artificial intelligence, Chris Pratt is taking a different route: calm, calculated, and unshaken. Promoting his new film Mercy, Pratt tells Yahoo Entertainment that the industry’s AI anxiety—though understandable—might be missing the bigger picture.
“I see AI having a massive impact across the board,” Pratt says. “But I’m cautiously optimistic it’s never going to replace actors, writers, or directors.”
Mercy Puts AI on Trial—Literally
Set in 2029, Mercy drops Pratt into a dystopian courtroom where his character, a detective accused of murdering his wife, is judged not by a jury—but by an AI voiced by Rebecca Ferguson. The twist? The AI has just 90 minutes to determine his fate. The film, releasing January 23, is already being hailed as a chilling mirror to Hollywood’s real-time AI reckoning.
Despite the film’s tech-heavy premise, Pratt confirms: “We didn’t use any AI to make the movie.” Instead, the production relied on traditional filmmaking tools, with the cast and crew diving deep into research to understand the implications of the technology—without letting it take the wheel.
The Cordless Drill Theory: Pratt’s AI Analogy
Pratt likens the rise of AI to the leap from manual screwdrivers to cordless drills: “It’s not going to frame the house for you. You still have to do the work. It just makes it faster and more efficient.”
That philosophy extends to his views on creative labor. While many fear AI will erase jobs, Pratt believes it could democratize filmmaking. “Maybe this is me being a Pollyanna,” he admits, “but it means more filmmakers can make more films.”
Why He Won’t Trademark His Voice
Unlike Matthew McConaughey, who recently trademarked his voice, catchphrases, and even his smile to protect against AI replication, Pratt says he won’t be following suit.
“A likeness is just that,” he says. “You’re not moved by digital re-creations the way you are by a real human being. Until they can create a soul, I don’t think actors or artists have anything to worry about.”
The Real Challenge: Stillness
Mercy is one of Pratt’s most restrained performances. For much of the film, he’s seated, under psychological siege. “It was mentally exhausting,” he says. “We did 50-minute takes. It was like doing a stage play.”
To stay locked in, Pratt had a crew member feed him a brutal internal monologue through an earpiece—lines like, “You f***ing did this. You piece of shit. You f***ing killed her.”
The result? A performance that’s less about action and more about anguish—proof that even in a tech-driven world, human emotion still steals the show.
From Seahawks Prophet to AI Philosopher
Pratt’s calm in the face of AI chaos isn’t new. Weeks before the interview, he predicted a near-impossible Seattle Seahawks comeback—down 16 in the fourth quarter. They won. He cried. His son cried. And the internet crowned him the “oracle of the NFC.”
Whether he’s calling football plays or forecasting Hollywood’s future, Pratt’s message is clear: embrace evolution, but don’t fear it.
“I have a soft spot for anyone displaced by tech,” he says. “But it seems to be the way of the world. The key is to adapt—and to stay human.”
Go Hawks. And go see Mercy—in theaters, phones off, souls on.
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