Chris Pratt received high praise: 'Different confidence'

In the 2008 movie Wanted, Chris Pratt played Barry, in which Timur Bekmabetov served as a director. Now, two decades later, he is looking back at the star's career.

“He’s still the person you can enjoy spending time with,” the director tells People, referring to the actor, who has starred in many hit projects. “He's the same — of course, it's a very different confidence.”

Timur also adds that Chris, who has four children, is “more responsible these days. Because he is now very important. He feels that he has a weight. He is and he must be responsible for how he behaves.”

In Mercy, the actor-director duo's latest movie, the star is playing a detective on trial for the murder of his wife, who must prove his innocence in front of an artificial intelligence judge.

The filmmaker recalls pitching the idea of the movie to Chris, “When Chris said yes and that he likes the story, then the movie became a real project."

Following his arrival on the project, Timur says, “Then, we were trying to find who could play AI. And there is only one person in the world who is as smart and tough and beautiful as Rebecca.”

Mercy opens in theaters on Jan. 23, 2026.