For every Die Hard or The Fifth Element, Bruce Willis has a stack of lesser-known gems that never quite got their due. One of those hidden '90s thrillers is about to get a fresh spotlight, and it's arriving with a serious visual upgrade.
Nearly three decades after its theatrical run, Mercury Rising is officially set to hit 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in early 2027. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is behind the release, marking the first time the 1998 actioner has received the 4K treatment. Its previous Blu-ray edition came out over 15 years ago, so this is a long-awaited upgrade for collectors and fans of vintage Willis.
The film stars Willis as Art Jeffries, a rogue FBI agent who stumbles into a high-stakes conspiracy. A nine-year-old autistic boy named Simon (Miko Hughes) has inadvertently cracked MERCURY, the government's supposedly unbreakable encryption code. That makes Simon a target—not just for foreign enemies, but for his own government. NSA chief Nicholas Kudrow (Alec Baldwin) orders the boy eliminated, but Jeffries isn't about to let that happen. What follows is a tense cat-and-mouse chase where trust is in short supply and survival depends on Simon's extraordinary gift.
Beyond Willis and Baldwin, the cast is stacked with familiar faces: Chi McBride, Kim Dickens, Robert Stanton, Bodhi Elfman, and Carrie Preston all turn up. Harold Becker, known for Sea of Love, directs with a gritty, paranoid energy that fits the era's conspiracy-thriller craze.
Critics weren't exactly kind to Mercury Rising back in April 1998. It currently sits at a measly 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, with many reviewers finding the blend of government intrigue and Willis-style action a bit too conventional. The box office was modest too—about $32.9 million domestically, though international ticket sales pushed the global haul to roughly $93.1 million.
Still, the film has carved out a cult following over the years, thanks in part to Willis's gruff charm and the genuinely clever premise. For those who've been waiting to revisit it in the best possible quality, this 4K release is a welcome surprise.
If you're in the mood for more underrated thrillers, check out our list of near-perfect thrillers from the last two decades. And for more classic action getting a modern revival, see how Tom Cruise's samurai epic is returning to streaming.
Mark your calendars for early 2027—Mercury Rising is finally getting the high-definition treatment it deserves.
