Mercy director Timur Bekmambetov has opened up about his decision to cast Rebecca Ferguson and Chris Pratt in his upcoming high-tech thriller.
For those unversed, the Marco van Belle–written Mercy follows Pratt as a detective on trial for his wife's murder, with an artificial intelligence judge, played by Ferguson, presiding over his fate.
Confined to a chair, Pratt's character Chris Raven must prove his innocence to the AI in just 90 minutes, setting the stage for an intense, high-tech courtroom thriller.
In a new chat with PEOPLE Magazine, Bekmambetov, who previously worked with Pratt nearly two decades ago, shared that collaborating again was seamless.
“Working with Chris is still the same,” he said warmly.
The director explained that he chose both Pratt and Ferguson for more than just their star power.
“I make movies for the same reason I cast Chris again — it’s just to spend time with the people I like,” he shared.
“And it was an unbelievable experience to be with Chris and Rebecca on set,” he concluded heaping praise for the acting sensations.