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Harris Pictures Announces Development of JACK MERCER, a $20 Million High-Stakes Poker and Legal Thriller Ahead of AFM 2026MALIBU, Calif. — November 4, 2026 — Harris Pictures announces the development of JACK MERCER, a high-stakes poker and legal thriller with a proposed production budget of $20 million. Created by Aces Harris, founder, actor, producer, and writer of Harris Pictures, the feature film is part of the company's seven-film development slate being positioned for financing, production partnerships, and worldwide distribution opportunities surrounding the 2026 American Film Market.
A High-Stakes Game Beyond the Poker Table
Set against the glamorous casinos of Las Vegas and the corridors of power, JACK MERCER follows a skilled card player who has built his reputation on reading people, calculating risks, and staying ahead of the competition.
Jack Mercer has everything many people chase: money, access, and a promising future. But when a single poker hand exposes a network of corruption reaching from the casino floor to the courtroom, he becomes entangled in a dangerous struggle involving powerful enemies and hidden agendas.
As the stakes escalate, Jack must uncover a buried truth, protect the people he loves, and confront an adversary capable of threatening everything he has built.
The story combines the psychological intensity of competitive poker with the suspense of a legal thriller, exploring ambition, deception, loyalty, and the consequences of challenging powerful institutions.
A $20 Million Production Vision
Harris Pictures is developing JACK MERCER around a proposed $20 million production budget, with an emphasis on cinematic storytelling, compelling performances, and immersive environments.
The production concept includes sophisticated casino settings, dramatic courtroom sequences, and the distinctive visual atmosphere of Las Vegas.
Poker serves as more than a backdrop. The game becomes a central storytelling device, where strategic decisions, calculated risks, and psychological manipulation mirror the larger conflicts unfolding beyond the table.
The film's visual direction is intended to emphasize suspense, character relationships, and escalating tension while maintaining a commercially focused production strategy.
Commercial Appeal and International Opportunities
JACK MERCER is being developed for audiences interested in crime thrillers, courtroom dramas, psychological suspense, and high-stakes competition.
By combining recognizable poker culture with a broader conspiracy narrative, Harris Pictures aims to create a feature film with appeal extending beyond traditional poker audiences.
The company is pursuing opportunities involving independent film financing, production partnerships, international sales representation, and domestic and worldwide distribution.
The 2026 American Film Market provides an opportunity to introduce the project to potential industry partners and explore its commercial positioning.
Financing, casting, production schedules, and distribution arrangements remain subject to future agreements.
Part of the Harris Pictures Seven-Film Slate
JACK MERCER joins six additional feature projects in development at Harris Pictures:
- Choke — Motorcycle action thriller
- Final Earth — Science-fiction adventure
- The Man Who Built the Stairway — Music biographical drama
- The Way We're Going — Romantic drama
- Viral — Mixed martial arts drama
- The Wrong Side — Feature film in development
The slate reflects Harris Pictures' strategy of developing commercially oriented entertainment across multiple genres, with an emphasis on distinctive characters, memorable stories, and cinematic production values.
The company is also exploring coordinated marketing campaigns, digital promotion, publishing tie-ins, and audience-development strategies to support its projects.
About Harris Pictures
Harris Pictures is an independent entertainment company based in Malibu, California, led by founder, actor, producer, and writer Aces Harris.
The company develops feature films across action, science fiction, drama, romance, sports, and suspense, with a focus on commercially accessible storytelling and independent film production.
Media Contact
Harris Pictures
Aces Harris
Founder, Actor, Producer, Writer
Malibu, California
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@harrispicturesllc