Priyanka Chopra’s ‘Bloody Mary’ Is A Brutal New Kind Of Pirate

According to Forbes, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is starring as a former pirate queen in the R-rated action thriller The Bluff, which premieres globally on Prime Video on February 25, 2026. She plays Ercell “Bloody Mary” Bodden, who is forced to unleash her violent past when her vengeful ex-captain, played by Karl Urban, and former crew storm her Caribbean island home in the late 1800s. The film, produced by Anthony and Joe Russo’s AGBO Studios, is directed by Frank E. Flowers and has been rated R for “strong bloody violence.” First-look images show a visceral, blood-soaked aesthetic, a stark departure from romanticized pirate tales. The project reunites Chopra Jonas with the Russos following their collaboration on the spy series Citadel for Amazon.

Not Your Disney’s Pirate

Here’s the thing: this looks like it’s actively trying to be the anti-Pirates of the Caribbean. Chopra Jonas told Esquire she didn’t even know female pirate captains were a real historical thing, and she studied figures like Grace O’Malley and Zheng Yi Sao to prepare. The goal, pushed by producers like Angela Russo-Otstot, is to show a woman who had to be “even more” brutal than the men around her just to survive and lead. That conch-shell-as-brass-knuckle image they released? That’s the thesis statement. It’s gritty, it’s painful, and it’s clearly not for kids. They’re betting that audiences are ready for a pirate story where the “arrr” is a scream of rage, not a charming quip.

The Russo-Urban Factor

The Russos attaching their name as producers gives this a certain weight, especially coming off their Marvel work and the massive investment in Citadel. But maybe the more interesting casting is Karl Urban. I mean, after playing Billy Butcher in The Boys, the man knows from unhinged, vengeance-driven characters. His description of Captain Connor as a narcissistic, Ahab-like figure cast out by the East India Company he helped build adds a layer of pathetic tragedy to the villain. It’s not just about gold; it’s about a shattered ego. And Urban getting to swing a sword again for the first time since Lord of the Rings? That’s just a cool bonus for him and for us.

Can It Revive A Genre?

So, the big question: can a brutal, R-rated pirate film actually work? The pirate genre has been tricky outside of the Pirates franchise. It’s expensive, period pieces are a tough sell, and the tone has mostly been campy adventure. The Bluff is smartly framing itself as a “home-invasion film on water,” which is a more relatable, contained thriller hook. Amazon’s clearly willing to spend, and if this clicks, you can bet they’ll look at it as a franchise starter. But it’s a gamble. Is “historical brutality” what people want from a pirate movie, or is the escapist fantasy part of the point? Priyanka’s global star power and the Russos’ action cred give it a real shot, but they’re sailing into uncharted waters.

Chopra’s Carnage Continuum

For Priyanka Chopra Jonas, this feels like a strategic next step. After the globetrotting, tech-heavy action of Citadel, this is raw, physical, and grounded in a different way. She’s talking about channeling Kill Bill and using motherhood as motivation for the character’s ferocity. It’s a role that lets her get truly feral, which is something we haven’t seen from her in a big action setting before. And with a major Bollywood film (Varanasi with S.S. Rajamouli) also on her slate, she’s masterfully bridging global streaming and major regional cinema. If The Bluff works, it solidifies her as a lead who can carry a brutal, original action property—not just a spy thriller or a sequel. That’s a powerful position to be in.