Rebecca Ferguson didn’t have the greatest start to 2026 after starring alongside Chris Pratt in the sci-fi mystery film Mercy. The movie opened to poor reviews in January, and failed to recoup its reported budget of $60 million. She does, however, have three sure things to fall back on. Later this year, she will star in the third season of her hit Apple TV series Silo, and will also play a supporting role in Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune: Part Three. The resurgence got underway this week, with Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, which debuted on Netflix to positive reviews and instant success. Of course, Mercy isn’t the first film that has proven to be a speed bump in her career. In the mid-2010s, after appearing in a string of hits such as Hercules, Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, and The Girl on the Train, Ferguson starred in a movie so poorly received that its director essentially disowned it.
Starring Michael Fassbender in the lead role, the movie was released theatrically in 2017, and it was only after its disappointing box-office run that reports revealed what a troubled production it had survived. Director Tomas Alfredson, who had previously made the critically acclaimed movies Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Let the Right One In, spoke about the hurdles he endured. “Our shoot time in Norway was way too short. We didn’t get the whole story with us and when we started cutting we discovered that a lot was missing. It’s like when you’re making a big jigsaw puzzle and a few pieces are missing so you don’t see the whole picture,” the filmmaker told NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation). Alfredson is making a comeback to English-language films with Séance on a Wet Afternoon, starring Rachel Weisz and written by Adolescence‘s Jack Thorne.
Casting (Re)Directors — The Collider TV Quiz!
When a new actor takes over an existing role, audiences can be wary. On this first day of spring, let’s look at some characters who got fresh starts.
The Movie Was Adapted From a Series of Detective Novels
The 2017 movie was based on a popular series of detective novels by Jo Nesbø. Presumably, it was intended to start a franchise like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The movie in question is The Snowman, which earned $43 million worldwide against a reported budget of $35 million. The Snowman holds a 7% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “A mystery that feels as mashed together and perishable as its title, The Snowman squanders its bestselling source material as well as a top-notch ensemble cast.” Fans of Nesbø’s novels have reason to cheer, however, as Netflix is putting together a series adaptation with Tobias Santelmann stepping in to play the lead role of Detective Harry Hole; the show will premiere on March 26.
Netflix will remove The Snowman on April 16. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
