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''Die Hard'' is a 1988 American
action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
directed by
John McTiernan John Campbell McTiernan Jr. (born January 8, 1951) is an American former filmmaker best known for his action films. His work as director includes ''Predator (film), Predator'' (1987), ''Die Hard'' (1988), and ''The Hunt for Red October (film), ...
and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza, based on the 1979 novel '' Nothing Lasts Forever'' by Roderick Thorp. It stars
Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining ...
,
Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, wikt:languid#Etymology 1, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and b ...
, Alexander Godunov, and Bonnie Bedelia, with Reginald VelJohnson, William Atherton, Paul Gleason, and Hart Bochner in supporting roles. ''Die Hard'' follows a New York City police detective, John McClane (Willis), who becomes entangled in a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper while visiting his estranged wife during a Christmas Eve party. Stuart was hired by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
to adapt Thorp's novel in 1987. His first draft was greenlit immediately, as the studio was eager for a summer blockbuster the following year. The role of McClane was turned down by a host of the decade's most popular actors, including
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
and
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
. Known mainly for work on television, Willis was paid $5million for his involvement, placing him among Hollywood's highest-paid actors. The deal was seen as a poor investment by industry professionals and attracted significant controversy towards the film prior to its release. Filming took place between November 1987 and March 1988, on a $25million to $35million budget and almost entirely on location in and around Fox Plaza in Los Angeles. Expectations for ''Die Hard'' were low; some marketing materials omitted Willis's image, ostensibly because the publicity team determined that the setting was as important as McClane. Upon its release in July 1988, initial reviews were mixed: criticism focused on its violence, plot, and Willis's performance, while McTiernan's direction and Rickman's charismatic portrayal of the villain Hans Gruber were praised. Defying predictions, ''Die Hard'' grossed approximately $140million, becoming the year's tenth-highest-grossing film and the highest-grossing action film. Receiving four
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nominations, it elevated Willis to leading-man status and made Rickman a celebrity. ''Die Hard'' has been critically re-evaluated and is now considered one of the greatest action films of all time. It is considered to have revitalized the action genre, largely due to its depiction of McClane as a vulnerable and fallible protagonist, in contrast to the muscle-bound and invincible heroes of other films of the period. Retrospective commentators also identified and analyzed its themes of vengeance, masculinity, gender roles, and American anxieties over foreign influences. Due to its Christmas setting, ''Die Hard'' is often named one of the best Christmas films of all time, although its status as a Christmas film is disputed. The film produced a host of imitators; the term "''Die Hard'' became a shorthand for plots featuring overwhelming odds in a restricted environment, such as "''Die Hard'' on a bus" in relation to ''
Speed In kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a non-negative scalar quantity. Intro ...
''. It created a franchise comprising the sequels '' Die Hard 2'' (1990), '' Die Hard with a Vengeance'' (1995), ''
Live Free or Die Hard ''Live Free or Die Hard'' (released as ''Die Hard 4.0'' outside North America) is a 2007 American action thriller film directed by Len Wiseman, the fourth installment in the Die Hard (franchise), ''Die Hard'' film series. It is based on the 199 ...
'' (2007), and '' A Good Day to Die Hard'' (2013), plus
video games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
, comics, and other merchandise. Deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
, ''Die Hard'' was selected for preservation in the
National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...
in 2017.


Plot

On Christmas Eve,
New York City Police Department The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
(NYPD) Detective John McClane arrives in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, hoping to reconcile with his estranged wife, Holly, at a party held by her employer, the Nakatomi Corporation. He is driven to Nakatomi Plaza by a limo driver, Argyle, who offers to wait for McClane in the garage. While McClane washes himself, the tower is seized by the German radical Hans Gruber and his heavily armed team, including Karl and Theo. Everyone in the tower is taken hostage except for McClane, who slips away, and Argyle, who remains oblivious to events. Gruber is posing as a terrorist to steal the $640million in untraceable
bearer bond A bearer bond or bearer note is a bond or debt security issued by a government or a business entity such as a corporation. As a bearer instrument, it differs from the more common types of investment securities in that it is unregistered—no ...
s in the building's vault. He kills executive Joseph Takagi after failing to extract the access code from him and tasks Theo with breaking into the vault. The terrorists are alerted to McClane's presence, and Karl's brother, Tony, is sent after him. McClane kills Tony and takes his weapon and radio, which he uses to contact the skeptical
Los Angeles Police Department The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...
(LAPD). Sergeant Al Powell is sent to investigate. Meanwhile, McClane kills more terrorists and recovers their bag of C-4 and detonators. Realizing Powell is about to leave, having found nothing amiss, McClane drops a terrorist's corpse onto his car. After Powell calls for backup, a
SWAT A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...
team attempts to storm the building but is counterattacked by the terrorists. McClane throws some C-4 down an elevator shaft, causing an explosion that kills some of the terrorists and ends the counterattack. Holly's co-worker Harry Ellis attempts to negotiate on Gruber's behalf but is killed by Gruber when McClane refuses to surrender. While checking the explosives on the roof, Gruber encounters McClane and pretends to be an escaped hostage; McClane gives Gruber a gun. Gruber attempts to shoot McClane but finds the weapon is unloaded, and he is saved only by the intervention of other terrorists. McClane escapes but is injured by shattered glass and loses the detonators. Outside,
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
(FBI) agents take control. They order the power to be shut off, which, as Gruber had anticipated, disables the final vault lock so his team can collect the bonds. The FBI agrees to Gruber's demand for a helicopter, intending to send helicopter gunships to eliminate the group. McClane realizes Gruber plans to blow the roof to kill the hostages and fake his team's deaths. Karl, enraged by Tony's death, attacks McClane and is seemingly killed. Gruber sees a news report by Richard Thornburg on McClane's children and infers that he is Holly's husband. The hostages are taken to the roof while Gruber keeps Holly with him. McClane drives the hostages from the roof just before Gruber detonates it and destroys the approaching FBI helicopters. Meanwhile, Theo retrieves an escape vehicle from the parking garage but is knocked out by Argyle, who has been following events on the limo's
CB radio Citizens band radio (CB radio) is a land mobile radio system, a system allowing short-distance one-to-many bidirectional voice communication among individuals, using two-way radios operating near 27 MHz (or the 11-m wavelength) in the high freq ...
. A weary and battered McClane finds Holly with Gruber and his remaining henchman. McClane seemingly surrenders to Gruber and is about to be shot but grabs his concealed service pistol taped to his back and uses his last two bullets to wound Gruber and kill his accomplice. Gruber crashes through a window but grabs onto Holly's wristwatch and makes a last-ditch attempt to kill the pair. McClane unclasps the watch, and Gruber falls to his death. Outside, Karl ambushes McClane and Holly; Karl is shot dead by Powell. Holly punches Thornburg when he attempts to interview McClane. Argyle crashes through the parking garage door in the limo and drives McClane and Holly away together.


Cast

*
Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining ...
as John McClane, a New York City police detective *
Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, wikt:languid#Etymology 1, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and b ...
as Hans Gruber, the ruthless leader of the terrorists * Alexander Godunov as Karl, Gruber's second-in-command * Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennaro-McClane, a high-ranking Nakatomi executive and John's estranged wife * Reginald VelJohnson as Al Powell, an LAPD sergeant * Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson, the LAPD Deputy Chief * De'voreaux White as Argyle, John's limousine driver * William Atherton as Richard Thornburg, an unscrupulous TV reporter * Clarence Gilyard as Theo, Gruber's tech specialist * Hart Bochner as Harry Ellis, a sleazy Nakatomi executive *
James Shigeta James Saburo Shigeta (; June 17, 1929 – July 28, 2014) was an American actor and singer. He was known for his roles in ''The Crimson Kimono'' (1959), ''Walk Like a Dragon'' (1960), ''Flower Drum Song (film), Flower Drum Song'' (1961), ''B ...
as Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi, Nakatomi's head executive Other cast members include Gruber's henchmen: Bruno Doyon as Franco, Andreas Wisniewski as Tony, Joey Plewa as Alexander, Lorenzo Caccialanza as Marco, Gerard Bonn as Kristoff, Dennis Hayden as Eddie, Al Leong as Uli, Gary Roberts as Heinrich, Hans Buhringer as Fritz, and Wilhelm von Homburg as James. Robert Davi and Grand L. Bush appear as FBI Special Agents Big Johnson and Little Johnson, respectively, Tracy Reiner appears as Thornburg's assistant, and Taylor Fry and Noah Land make minor appearances as McClane's children Lucy McClane and John Jr.


Production


Development and writing

The development of ''Die Hard'' began in 1987, when screenwriter Jeb Stuart was in dire financial straits. His script purchased by
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
had been abandoned and a contract at
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...
was not providing him with sufficient income. Stuart had six weeks between contracted work so his agent Jeremy Zimmer contacted Lloyd Levin, the head of development at the Gordon Company, a producing arm of
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
. Levin asked Stuart to work on an adaptation of the 1979 novel '' Nothing Lasts Forever'' written by former private investigator Roderick Thorp. Thorp had been inspired to write ''Nothing Lasts Forever'' by a dream he had—in which armed assailants chase a man through a building—after watching the 1974 disaster film ''
The Towering Inferno ''The Towering Inferno'' is a 1974 American disaster film directed by John Guillermin and produced by Irwin Allen, featuring an ensemble cast led by Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. It was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from the novels '' The ...
''. Fox had adapted the book's 1966 predecessor, '' The Detective'', for the 1968 film starring
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
as NYPD detective Joe Leland, and purchased the sequel rights before ''Nothing Lasts Forever'' had been written. Levin gave Stuart creative freedom as long as he retained the
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
-in- Los-Angeles setting; the concept, he considered, would provide an interesting aesthetic. The film was pitched as " Rambo in an office building", referring to the successful '' Rambo'' film series. Producers Lawrence Gordon and
Joel Silver Joel Silver (born July 14, 1952) is an American film producer. Life and career Silver was born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey, the son of a writer and a public relations executive. His family is Jewish. He attended Columbia High School ...
hired director
John McTiernan John Campbell McTiernan Jr. (born January 8, 1951) is an American former filmmaker best known for his action films. His work as director includes ''Predator (film), Predator'' (1987), ''Die Hard'' (1988), and ''The Hunt for Red October (film), ...
because of his work with them on the successful 1987 action film ''
Predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...
''. McTiernan agreed to direct on the condition that the film would have "some joy" and not simply contain "mean, nasty acts", seen in other terrorist films. Stuart began working 18-hour days at his office at Walt Disney Studios in
Burbank Burbank may refer to: Places Australia * Burbank, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane United States * Burbank, California, a city in Los Angeles County * Burbank, Santa Clara County, California, a census-designated place * Burbank, Illinois, ...
, which left him exhausted and "on edge". After an argument with his wife, he went for a drive and saw a box in his lane; unable to avoid it, he was forced to drive over it and discovered it to be empty. According to Stuart, he pulled over on the side of the freeway, his "heart pounding". From this, Stuart conceived a central theme of the story of a man who should have apologized to his wife before a catastrophe. He returned home to reconcile with his wife and wrote 35 pages that night. To shape the McClanes' relationship, Stuart also drew upon the marital problems of his peers, including divorces and ex-wives reverting to use their maiden name. John McClane was named John Ford initially, but 20th Century Fox felt this was disrespectful to the deceased director of the same name. Stuart chose McClane as a "good strong Scottish name", based on his own Celtic heritage. He described the character as a flawed hero who learns a lesson in the worst possible situation and becomes a better, but not a different, person. Having no experience writing action films, Stuart drew on his experience writing thrillers, focusing on making the audience care about McClane, Holly, and their reconciliation. As Stuart pitched his story to executives, Gordon interrupted him, told him to complete a draft, and left the meeting. Stuart finished his first draft just under six weeks later. Stuart credits Levin for helping him understand ''Nothing Lasts Forever''. He adapted many sequences faithfully, including a C-4 charge being thrown down an elevator shaft and the book's central character, Joe Leland, leaping from the roof. However, the novel is told entirely from Leland's perspective, and events he is not present for are not detailed. Its tone is also more cynical and nihilistic: Leland visits his drug-addicted daughter at the Klaxon building, and she dies having fallen from the building alongside villain Anton Gruber, who is using naïve male and female guerrilla soldiers to rob the building because of Klaxon's support for a dictatorial government. This made their motivations less clear and Leland more conflicted about killing them, especially the women. Leland is written as an experienced older man working as a high-powered security consultant. Stuart rejected the novel's tone for being "too sad", and believed an older action hero—Leland being over 60—was nonsensical. Stuart created new material for scenes when McClane is not present, expanding upon or introducing characters: he gave Powell a wife and children, allowing him to relate more closely to McClane; and Argyle, whose novel counterpart disappears early in the story, is present throughout Stuart's draft, supporting McClane by broadcasting rap music over the terrorists' radios. Among the script's original characters is the unscrupulous journalist Richard Thornburg. A fan of prominent Western film actor
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
, Stuart was inspired to carry a Western motif throughout the script, including cowboy lingo. He befriended a construction superintendent at the under-construction Fox Plaza in Los Angeles, allowing him access to the building to gain ideas on how to lay out the characters and scenes. He delivered the finished screenplay in June 1987. It was greenlit the following day, in part because 20th Century Fox needed a summer blockbuster for 1988.


Casting

As ''Die Hard'' was based on the novel sequel to the film adaptation of ''The Detective'', the studio was contractually obliged to offer Frank Sinatra the role. Sinatra, who was 70 at the time, declined. The role was offered to various major stars including
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
,
Richard Gere Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began appearing in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in ''Looking for Mr. Goodbar (film), Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Hea ...
,
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
,
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...
,
Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. He became well known in television series such as ''Gunsmoke'' (1962–1965), '' Hawk'' (1966) and '' Dan Augus ...
,
Nick Nolte Nicholas King Nolte (; born February 8, 1941) is an American actor. Known for his leading man roles in both dramas and romances, he has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. Nol ...
,
Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Mel Gibson, multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his act ...
,
Don Johnson Don Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series '' Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Emm ...
,
Richard Dean Anderson Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23, 1950) is an American actor. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series ''General Hospital'', and then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the televis ...
,
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...
,
James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...
, and
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...
. The prevailing action archetype of the era was a muscle-bound, invincible macho man like
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
, who was offered the role, but he wanted to branch out into comedy and turned it down to star in ''
Twins Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two e ...
'' (1988). Willis was known mainly for his comedic role in the romantic comedy television series '' Moonlighting'', starring opposite
Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress, singer and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama '' The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jef ...
. He declined the role because of his contractual obligations to ''Moonlighting'', but when Shepherd became pregnant, the show's production was stopped for eleven weeks, giving Willis enough time to take the role. McTiernan's girlfriend had a chance meeting with a representative of
CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...
and asked them for analysis of Willis as the star. Their analysis showed that casting Willis would not have a negative impact; his participation was confirmed two weeks later. The choice was controversial as Willis had only starred in one other film, the moderately successful comedy '' Blind Date'' (1987). At the time, there was also a clear distinction between film and television actors. Though films like ''
Ghostbusters ''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, three eccentric ...
'' (1984) had demonstrated that television stars could lead a blockbuster film, other television actors like Shelley Long and
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...
had failed in their recent attempts to make the transition. Willis received $5million for the role, giving him a salary comparable to more successful, established film actors like
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...
,
Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...
, and
Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...
. 20th Century Fox president Leonard Goldberg justified the figure by saying ''Die Hard'' needed an actor of Willis's potential, and Gordon said that Willis's everyman persona was essential to conveying the idea that the hero could actually fail. Other Fox sources were reported as saying the studio was desperate for a star after being turned down by so many popular actors. Willis said, "They paid me what they thought I was worth for the film, and for them." He described the character as unlike the larger-than-life characters portrayed by Stallone or Schwarzenegger, saying "even though he's a hero, he is just a regular guy. He's an ordinary guy who's been thrown into extraordinary circumstances". Willis drew upon his working-class upbringing in
South Jersey South Jersey, also known as Southern New Jersey, comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located between Pennsylvania and the lower Delaware River to its west, the Atlantic Ocean to its east, Delaware to its south, ...
for the character, including "that attitude and disrespect for authority, that gallows sense of humor, the reluctant hero". Rickman was already in his early 40s as he made his screen debut as Hans Gruber. He was cast by Silver, who had seen him perform in a Broadway version of ''
Les Liaisons Dangereuses ''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (; English: ''Dangerous Liaisons'') is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu on March 23, 1782. It is the story of the Marquise Isabelle de Merteu ...
'', playing the villainous Vicomte de Valmont. Bedelia was cast at Willis's suggestion after he saw her in the 1983 biographical film '' Heart Like a Wheel''. VelJohnson appeared as Al Powell in his first major film role at the suggestion of casting director Jackie Burch, with whom he had worked previously.
Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor. With a career spanning seven decades, he is regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. He has received an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy Film Awards ...
, Gene Hackman,
Laurence Fishburne Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor. Throughout his career, he has gained recognition for his roles on stage and screen as militant and authoritative characters. List of awards and nominations received by Laur ...
, and Wesley Snipes were considered for the role. Ellis is portrayed by Hart Bochner, an acquaintance of Silver. His role was shot in chronological order over three weeks. McTiernan had wanted the character to be suave like actor
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...
, but Bochner conceived of the character's motivations coming from cocaine use and insecurity. McTiernan hated the performance initially until he noticed Gordon and Silver were entertained by Bochner's antics.


Re-write

Screenwriter Steven E. de Souza rewrote Stuart's script because he had experience in blending action and comedy. He approached the story as if Gruber were the protagonist. He said, "If ruberhad not planned the robbery and put it together, cClanewould have just gone to the party and reconciled or not with his wife. You should sometimes think about looking at your movie through the point of view of the villain who is really driving the narrative." De Souza used blueprints of Fox Plaza to help him lay out the story and character locations within the building. The script continued to undergo changes up to and during filming. Several subplots and traits for characters other than McClane were created during the first few weeks of filming because Willis was still working on ''Moonlighting''. He would film the show for up to ten hours and then work on ''Die Hard'' at night. McTiernan gave Willis time off to rest and tasked De Souza with adding the new scenes. These included scenes with Holly's housekeeper, Holly confronting Gruber following Takagi's death, an introductory scene for Thornburg, and more moments between Powell and his fellow officers. Silver wanted a scene between McClane and Gruber before the film's denouement, but De Souza could not think of a plausible scenario until he happened to overhear Rickman affecting an American accent. He realized this would allow Gruber to disguise himself when he met McClane, and the earlier scene of Takagi's murder was reworked to conceal Gruber's identity from McClane. Due to the addition of the Gruber/McClane meeting scene, a different one in which McClane kills Theo was excised. In Stuart's original script, ''Die Hard'' took place over three days, but McTiernan was inspired to have it take place over a single night like Shakespeare's ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
''. He did not want to use terrorists as the villains, as he considered them to be "too mean", and avoided focusing on the terrorists' politics in favor of making them thieves driven by monetary pursuits; he felt this would make it more suitable summer entertainment. McClane's character was not fully realized until almost halfway through production. McTiernan and Willis had determined that McClane is a man who does not like himself much but is doing the best he can in a bad situation. McClane's catchphrase, "Yipee-ki-yay, motherfucker", was inspired by old cowboy lingo, including cowboy actor
Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...
's own "Yippee-ki-yah, kids", to emphasize his all-American character. There was a debate over whether to use "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker" or "yippee-ti-yay, motherfucker"; Willis endorsed the former.


Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began in November 1987, and concluded by early March 1988, with an approximate $25–$35million budget. Filming took place almost entirely in and around Fox Plaza in
Century City Century City is a 176-acre (71.2 ha) neighborhood and business district in Los Angeles, California, United States. Located on the Westside to the south of Santa Monica Boulevard around 10 miles (16 km) west of downtown Los Angeles, Cent ...
, situated on the Avenue of the Stars. The location was chosen late in production by
production designer In film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Work ...
Jackson De Govia. A mostly unoccupied building was needed, which the under-construction Fox Plaza offered; it was secured with two main conditions: no filming during the day and no damage from explosions. Cinematographer
Jan de Bont Jan de Bont (; born 22 October 1943) is a Dutch former cinematographer, film director, and film producer. He is best known for directing the action films ''Speed (1994 film), Speed'' (1994) and ''Twister (1996 film), Twister'' (1996). As a direct ...
said the building's design was distinct, making it a character on its own, and clear views of the building were available from a distance, enabling establishing shots as McClane approaches it. The surrounding city could be seen from within the building, enhancing the realism. De Bont frequently used handheld cameras to film closer to the characters, creating a more cinematic "intimacy". Very little of the film was
storyboard A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of simple illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The storyboarding proce ...
ed beforehand because De Bont believed intricate storyboarding made his job redundant. Instead, he and McTiernan would discuss that day's filming in detail, and the feeling or sensation they wanted to convey. De Bont was more concerned with creating a dramatic rather than an attractive shot. He cited the use of real flares in the film that generated unpredictable smoke and sometimes obscured the image. Willis's first day on set was on November2, 1987. He came straight from filming ''Moonlighting'' to shoot one of his most pivotal scenes, where McClane leaps from a rooftop as it explodes behind him, saved only by a length of firehose. Willis found acting in ''Die Hard'' difficult because it differed from previous experiences in that he was often alone, not having any personal encounters with others. He did not spend much time with the rest of the cast between takes, opting to spend it with his new partner,
Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...
. In contrast to their on-screen dynamics, Bedelia and VelJohnson spent most of their time between scenes with Rickman. When asked to throw Holly to the floor, Rickman refused because he believed it was not a fitting action for the "civilized" Gruber and that Holly, "a self-possessed career woman", would not have let him. The film's ending had not been finalized when filming began. In the finished film, Theo retrieves an ambulance from the truck the terrorists arrived in to use as an escape vehicle, but as this was a late addition, the truck the terrorists had been filmed arriving in was too small to hold an ambulance. Another scene, showing the terrorists synchronizing their TAG Heuer watches, also showed the truck was empty; this scene had to be deleted, leading to other necessary changes. As scripted, McClane realizes that the American hostage he encounters is Gruber because of the distinctive TAG Heuer watch he observed on the other terrorists; the watches were no longer an established plot point. It necessitated the introduction of a heroic scene for Argyle, who gets to stop Theo's escape. De'voreaux actually punched Gilyard during the scene, which was added in only in the last 10 days of filming. There was flexibility with some roles, depending on the actors' performances, meaning some characters were kept in the film longer and others killed off sooner. The actors were also given some room to improvise, like Theo's line, "The quarterback is toast", Bochner's "Hans, bubby, I'm your white knight", and the henchman Uli stealing a chocolate bar during the SWAT assault. McTiernan took stylistic influence from
French New Wave The New Wave (, ), also called the French New Wave, is a French European art cinema, art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentat ...
cinema when editing the film. He recruited Frank J. Urioste and John F. Link to edit scenes together while in mid-motion, contrary to the mainstream style of editing used at the time.


Music

Before hiring composer
Michael Kamen Michael Arnold Kamen (April 15, 1948 – November 18, 2003) was an American composer (especially of film scores), orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, songwriter, record producer and musician. Early life Michael Arnold Kamen was born in ...
, McTiernan knew he wanted to include
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
's 9th Symphony (commonly known as "Ode to Joy"), having heard it in
Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
's '' A Clockwork Orange'' (1971). Kamen objected to "tarnishing" the piece in an action film and offered to misuse German composer
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
's music instead. Once McTiernan explained how the 9th Symphony had been used in ''A Clockwork Orange'' to highlight the ultra-violence, Kamen had a better understanding of McTiernan's intentions. In exchange, Kamen insisted that they also license the use of " Singin' in the Rain" (1952) (also used in ''A Clockwork Orange'') and "
Winter Wonderland "Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himb ...
" (1934). He mixed the melodies of "Ode to Joy", "Winter Wonderland", and "Singin' in the Rain" into his score, mainly to underscore the villains. The samples of "Ode to Joy" are played in slightly lower keys to sound more menacing; the references build to a performance of the symphony when Gruber finally accesses the Nakatomi vault. The score also references " Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!". Kamen initially saw a mostly incomplete version of ''Die Hard'' and was unimpressed. He saw the film as primarily about a "phenomenal bad guy" who made McClane seem less important. Kamen was dismissive of film scores, believing they could not stand alone from the film. His original score incorporates pizzicato and arco strings, brass, woodwinds and sleigh bells added during moments of menace to counter their festive meaning. There are other uses of classical
diegetic music Diegetic music, also called source music, is music that is part of the fictional world portrayed in a piece of narrative media (such as a film, show, play, or video game) and is thus knowingly performed and/or heard by the characters. This is in ...
in the film; the musicians at the party play Brandenburg Concerto No.3 by
Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...
. McTiernan did not like a piece created for the final scene in which Karl attempts to kill McClane, and decided to use a temporary track that was already in place: a piece of
James Horner James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American film composer. He worked on more than 160 film and television productions between 1978 and 2015. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements alongside tr ...
's unused score for '' Aliens'' (1986). Cues are also used from the 1987 action film '' Man on Fire''. ''Die Hard'' also features " Christmas in Hollis" by
Run-DMC Run-DMC (also formatted Run-D.M.C., RUN DMC, or some combination thereof) was an American hip-hop group formed in Hollis, Queens, New York City in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the mos ...
, which would go on to be considered a Christmas classic, in part because of its use in the film.


Stunts and designs


Stunts

The perception of film stunts changed shortly before production of ''Die Hard'' following a fatal accident on the set of '' Twilight Zone: The Movie'' (1983), and a push was made to prioritize a film's crew over the film itself. Even so, Willis insisted on performing many of his own stunts, including rolling down steps and standing on top of an active elevator. The first scene he shot was his leap from the top of Nakatomi Plaza with a firehose wrapped around his waist. The stunt involved a leap from a five-story parking garage ledge onto an airbag as a wall of flame exploded behind him. He considered it to be one of his toughest stunts. The explosive force pushed him towards the edge of the airbag and the crew was concerned he had died. Stuntman Ken Bates stood in for Willis when his character is hanging from the building. A set was used for the following scene where McClane shoots out a window to re-enter the building. It was shot approximately halfway into the filming schedule so that all involved had gained more stunt experience. The window was made of fragile sugar glass that took two hours to set up, and there were only a few takes for this reason. Instead of a hoist, a team of stuntmen positioned below the window dragged the hose and pulled Willis towards the edge, as they could better control Willis's fall if he went over. Editor Frank Urioste kept the scene where McClane falls down a ventilation shaft and catches onto a lower opening; Willis's stuntman accidentally fell further than intended. During a scene where McClane shoots a terrorist through a table, Willis suffered a permanent two-thirds hearing loss in his left ear caused by firing loud
blank cartridges Blank or Blanks may refer to: *Blank (archaeology), a thick, shaped stone biface for refining into a stone tool *Blank (cartridge), a type of gun cartridge *Blank (Scrabble), a playing piece in the board game Scrabble *Blank (solution), a solutio ...
close to his head. For Gruber's fall from Nakatomi Plaza, Rickman was dropped between ; reports are inconsistent. He was suspended on a raised platform and dropped onto a blue screen airbag. This allowed the background behind him to be composited with footage taken from Fox Plaza and falling confetti that looked like bearer bonds. Rickman had to fall backward onto the bag, something stuntmen avoid to control their fall. McTiernan convinced Rickman by demonstrating the stunt himself and falling onto a pile of cardboard boxes. Rickman was told he would be dropped on a count of three, but he was let go earlier to elicit a genuine look of surprise. McTiernan said, "there's no way he could fake that". The first take was used, but McTiernan convinced Rickman to perform a second one as backup. Capturing the stunt was difficult because it was impossible for a human operator to refocus the camera fast enough to prevent the image from blurring as Rickman fell away. Supervised by visual effects producer
Richard Edlund Richard Edlund, (born December 6, 1940) is an American visual effects artist and inventor. He was a founding member of Industrial Light & Magic, having already founded Pignose amplifiers, and later co-founded Boss Film Studios and DuMonde V ...
, Boss Film Studios engineered an automated system using a computer that rapidly refocused the camera via a motor on its
focus ring In the field of photography, a manual focus camera is one in which the user has to adjust the focus of the lens by hand. Before the advent of autofocus, all cameras had manually adjusted focusing; thus, the term is a retronym. The focus itsel ...
. A wide-angle lens camera shooting at 270frames per second was used, creating footage that played 10 times slower than normal. Despite these innovations, the camera struggled to keep Rickman entirely in focus during his 1.5-second fall; the scene cuts away from Rickman as the usable footage runs out. To complete Gruber's fatal descent, Bates was lowered from Fox Plaza in a harness that slowed his fall as he neared the ground. Some of the Fox Plaza residents, frustrated by the debris and destruction around the building, refused to turn off their office lights for exterior shots of the Plaza. Months of negotiations took place for permission to drive a SWAT vehicle up the steps of Fox Plaza. A railing knocked over during shooting was never replaced. Small explosives moving along a guidewire were disguised as the terrorist rockets, giving the appearance of them striking the vehicle. In the scene where McClane throws C4 down the elevator shaft to stop the assault, the effects team unwittingly blew out every window on one floor of the building. The final helicopter scene took six months of preparation, and only two hours were set aside to film it. It took three attempts above Fox Plaza, and nine camera crews filming with twenty-four different cameras. De Bont said the different angles enhanced the on-location realism. Mortar-like devices filled with propane were used for explosions. They took ten minutes to install and offered a six-second burst of flame. The explosion of the Nakatomi rooftop was created using a miniature model; this was the only miniature used in the film. Because Hans Buhringer (Fritz) was an inexperienced actor and filming was behind schedule, a Native American stuntman was put in a blond wig and equipped with squibs to capture the character's death in one take.


Design

To prevent the in-building locations looking similar because of the standard
fluorescent Fluorescence is one of two kinds of photoluminescence, the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation, many substances will glow (fluoresce) with color ...
office lighting, De Bont concealed small film lights in high locations. He controlled these to create more dynamic and dramatic lighting. This gave him the opportunity to use unusual light positioning. He also placed fluorescent tubes on the floor in one scene to indicate they had not been installed. The shifting nature of the filming script meant some sets were designed before it was known what they were to be used for. The Nakatomi Building's 30th floor—where the hostages are held—was one of the few sets. It contained a recreation of the
Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...
-designed house
Fallingwater Fallingwater is a Historic house museum, house museum in Stewart Township, Pennsylvania, Stewart Township in the Laurel Highlands of Greater Pittsburgh, southwestern Pennsylvania, United States. Designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright, i ...
. De Govia reasoned that it reflected the contemporary trend of Japanese corporations buying up American corporate assets. An early design for the Nakatomi logo was too reminiscent of a
swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍, ) is a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...
and it was re-designed to look closer to a
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
warrior's helmet. A
matte painting A matte painting is a painted representation of a landscape, set, or distant location that allows filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that is not present at the filming location. Historically, matte painters and film technicia ...
provided the city backdrop as viewed from inside the building's 30th floor. It featured animated lights and other lighting techniques to present both moving traffic, daytime and nighttime.


Release


Context

The summer of 1988 was expected by film industry executives to be dominated by action and comedy films, although a broader range of films were released that year. More films targeted older audiences rather than teenagers, a reflection of the increasing age of the average audience member. Sequels to successful films, '' Crocodile Dundee II'' and '' Rambo III'', were predicted to control the May box office and break opening weekend revenue records. Industry executives also had high expectations for the comedies ''
Coming to America ''Coming to America'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed by John Landis, based on a story originally created by Eddie Murphy, written by David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein, and starring Murphy (in various roles), Arsenio ...
'' and ''
Who Framed Roger Rabbit ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' is a 1988 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. It is loosely based on the 1981 novel ''Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'' by Gary K. Wol ...
''. Expectations for ''Die Hard'' were low compared to its action film competition—the Schwarzenegger-starring ''
Red Heat '' Red heat'' is a practice of using colours to determine the temperature of metal Red Heat may also refer to: * ''Red Heat'' (1985 film), a 1985 film starring Linda Blair * ''Red Heat'' (1988 film), a 1988 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger a ...
'' and Clint Eastwood's '' The Dead Pool''. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' noted that ''Die Hard'', and the comedies '' Big Top Pee-wee'' and '' Bull Durham'', would be closely scrutinized by the industry for success or failure. ''Die Hard'' was singled out for Willis's salary, and the failure earlier that year of his previous film, the western ''
Sunset Sunset (or sundown) is the disappearance of the Sun at the end of the Sun path, below the horizon of the Earth (or any other astronomical object in the Solar System) due to its Earth's rotation, rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth, it ...
'', which brought into question his leading man capabilities. Lawrence Gordon agreed that not using a major action star like Stallone or Eastwood meant audience interest in ''Die Hard'' was lower than it might have been. The larger salaries paid to these stars were based on the built-in audience they could attract to a film's opening week, with good word of mouth supporting the film thereafter, but Willis did not have a built-in audience.


Marketing

Willis featured prominently in the film's early marketing campaign, but it underwent several changes as the film's release date drew nearer. Willis had developed a reputation as an "arrogant" actor concerned with his own fame. His refusal to address this, or speak about his personal life to the media, had reinforced this perception. For his part, Willis said that he wanted the media to focus on his acting. There were reports that cinema audiences would moan at Willis's appearance in ''Die Hard'' trailers, and that a representative from an unnamed theater chain had pulled the trailer in response. Research by several film studios revealed that audiences had a negative opinion of Willis overall and little or no interest in seeing him in ''Die Hard''. ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
''s David Ansen called Willis "the most unpopular actor ever to get $5million for making a movie". As 20th Century Fox's confidence in Willis's appeal faltered, the film's posters were changed to focus on Nakatomi Plaza, with Willis's name billed in tiny print. Willis's image was not included in the film's first full-page newspaper advertisement in mid-July. 20th Century Fox executive Tom Sherak denied that Willis was being hidden, saying their marketing strategy had changed when they realized that the building was as important a character as the actor. Defying expectations, sneak previews of the film were well received by audiences, and the week following its release, the advertising began featuring Willis more prominently. Despite his dislike of interviews, Willis appeared on several daytime shows to promote the film. Explaining why he was more involved in the promotion for ''Die Hard'', Willis said, "I'm so excited about this film... To me, it represents why I wanted to be an actor."


Box office

''Die Hard''s premiere took place on July12, 1988, at the Avco theater in Los Angeles, California. In North America, the film received a limited release in 21 theaters in 13 cities on July15, 1988, earning $601,851—an average of $28,659 per theater. It was considered a successful debut with a high per-theater average gross. The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' said that the late change in advertising focus and diminishing popularity for action films should have worked against ''Die Hard''. Instead, positive reviews and the limited release had made it a "must-see" film. It received a wide release the following week on July22, 1988, across 1,276 theaters, and earning $7.1million—an average of $5,569 per theater. The film finished as the number three film of the weekend, behind ''Coming to America'' ($8.8million)—in its fourth week of release—and ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' ($8.9million), in its fifth. The film fell to number four in its third week with a further gross of $6.1million, just behind ''Coming to America'' ($6.4million), ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' ($6.5million) and the debuting romantic comedy ''
Cocktail A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic beverage, alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more liquor, spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, Shrub (drink), shrubs, and ...
'' ($11.7million). In its fourth weekend, it rebounded to the number three position with $5.7million. While the film never claimed the number-one box office ranking, it spent ten straight weeks among the top five highest-grossing films. In total, the film earned an approximate box office gross of between $81.3million and $83million. This made it the seventh-highest-grossing film of 1988, behind ''Crocodile Dundee II'' ($109.3million), buddy comedy ''Twins'' ($111.9million), fantasy-comedy ''
Big Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka * ''Big!'', a ...
'' ($114.9million), ''Coming to America'' ($128.1million), ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' ($154.1million) and comedy-drama '' Rain Man'' ($172.8million). Outside North America, ''Die Hard'' is estimated to have earned $57.7million, giving it an approximate cumulative gross of between $139.1million and $140.7million. This figure makes it the tenth-highest-grossing film worldwide of 1988 behind ''Big'' ($151million), ''Cocktail'' ($171million), ''
A Fish Called Wanda ''A Fish Called Wanda'' is a 1988 heist comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and written by Crichton and John Cleese. It stars Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. The film follows a gang of diamond thieves who double- ...
'' ($177million), ''Rambo III'' ($189million), ''Twins'' ($216million), ''Crocodile Dundee II'' ($239million), ''Coming to America'' ($288million), ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' ($329million) and ''Rain Man'' ($354million). The summer of 1988 saw box office grosses totaling $1.7billion, breaking the previous year's record-breaking summer by $100million, and it was the most successful summer since 1984, when only three films earned more than $100million in North America. Defying pre-release expectations ''Die Hard'' was considered an enormous success. In a year otherwise dominated by comedy films, ''Die Hard''s overperformance was an anomaly compared to other action films such as ''Rambo III'' and ''Red Heat'', which failed to meet box office expectations. Film critic Sheila Benson believed this demonstrated a generational shift in audiences and their tastes; in particular, 25- to 37-year-old men had turned against alcohol abuse, sexism, and mindless machismo. Along with films like ''Big'' and '' Young Guns'' (1988), ''Die Hard'' is credited with revitalizing 20th Century Fox, which had had few successes in preceding years. It also showed the action genre was not "dead".


Reception


Critical response

Initial critical reviews of ''Die Hard'' were mixed. Audiences reacted more positively; polls by the market research firm CinemaScore found that audiences gave it an average rating of "A+" on an scale. McTiernan's direction was praised. In the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'', Dave Kehr wrote that McTiernan's "logical" direction created a sense of scale in the film that made it seem more significant than its content. The scene in which the terrorists take over the building was described as a "textbook study" by Kevin Thomas, providing a strong introduction to both McTiernan's abilities and De Bont's cinematography. De Govia's set design was complimented by Kehr as "ingenious". Ebert praised the stunts and special effects. Critics were conflicted over Willis's performance. Many considered ''Die Hard'' Willis's breakout role, reviving his faltering transition from television to film star, and demonstrating his leading-man status and comedic range. Kathy Huffhines and James Mills considered Willis's performance an evolution of his ''Moonlighting'' character David Addison with less sexism and more masculinity. Huffhines wrote that the performance improved as Willis hewed closer to his own working-class background. Reviewers including Terry Lawson and Paul Willistein believed that despite expectations, Willis had been well cast, bringing a necessary vulnerability and sense of humor to a contemporary hero; one who displays remorse, fear, and indecision without being overly macho or comedic, and delivers dialogue that other action stars could not.; ; ; ; ; Marke Andrews argued that this vulnerability was essential to creating tension because audiences care about the character's fate. Some reviewers felt that Willis's strongest talent—his comedic ability—had been woefully underutilized. Writing for ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'', Hal Hinson complimented Willis's "grace and physical bravado" that allowed him to stand alongside the likes of Stallone and Schwarzenegger. Conversely
Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
said he lacked "toughness". Reviewers generally agreed that Willis's dramatic acting was unimpressive or limited; Jay Boyar believed his abilities were perfect for McClane, although Kehr criticized him as only a television-level star.
Richard Schickel Richard Warren Schickel (February 10, 1933 – February 18, 2017) was an American film historian, journalist, author, documentarian, and film and literary critic. He was a film critic for ''Time'' from 1965–2010, and also wrote for '' ...
said Willis's performance was "whiny and self-involved", and that removing his undershirt by the film's denouement was the totality of his acting range. He acknowledged it was difficult to perform when acting only against special effects. Rickman's performance was praised. Caryn James said he was the film's best feature, portraying "the perfect snake", and Hinson likened his work to the "sneering", malevolent performance by
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...
in ''
Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...
'' (1955). Kehr called Gruber a classic villain who combined the silliness of actor
Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...
and the "smiling dementia" of actor George Macready. Canby said that Rickman provided the only credible performance, and
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
—who was otherwise critical of the film—singled it out for praise. Critics routinely praised Bedelia's performance and lamented that she was underused, in favor of McClane's and Powell's relationship. Schickel highlighted a scene in which McClane confesses his sins to Powell before rescuing his wife, robbing their marital reunion of meaning. Ebert and Schickel both felt that only McClane's and Powell's characters were developed. The film's success was credited to the remote relationships built between Willis, Rickman, and Veljohnson, by Mike Cidoni. Huffhines and Mills credited the performances with anchoring the film. Ebert focused his criticism on the police captain (portrayed by Gleason), citing the character as an example of a "willfully useless and dumb" obstruction that wasted screen time and weakened the plot. Thomas commended the casting of several minority actors. The action and violence were criticized by many reviewers. Kevin Thomas said the film had
plot hole In fiction, a plot hole, plothole, or plot error is an inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story's plot. Plot holes are usually created unintentionally, often as a result of editing or the writers ...
s and lacked credibility. He believed it was the result of a calculated effort to please the broadest possible audience, and concluded that it had squandered its potential as an intelligent thriller for "numbing" violence and carnage. Canby offered a similar sentiment, suggesting the film would appeal only to audiences that required a constant stream of explosions and loud noises. He described it as a "nearly perfect movie for our time", designed to appeal to audiences Canby described as "kidults"—adults with the mindset of children. One violent scene, in which Powell saves McClane by shooting Karl, was singled out. Schickel believed it to be a cynical scene that undermined the humanity formed between McClane and Powell, by having Powell find redemption for his own mistakes through violence. Hinson believed the audience was deliberately manipulated into cheering for the act. Writing for ''The New York Times'', James said the film offered fun escapism while relying on action clichés, but Hinson countered that despite the relentless thrills, the film was not enjoyable. Reviews identified allusions in ''Die Hard'' to films such as ''The Towering Inferno'' and '' The Poseidon Adventure'' (1972), '' Alien'' (1979), ''Aliens'', and ''
RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American Science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen (actress), Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Dani ...
'' (1987). Kehr said ''Die Hard'' emulated ''Alien'' and ''RoboCop'' by developing a humorous and sentimental design that perfected the action genre, but in doing so it lacked a personality of its own. Writing for the ''Poughkeepsie Journal'', Cidoni felt ''Die Hard'' made previous action blockbusters such as ''Predator'', ''Missing in Action (film), Missing in Action'' (1984), and ''Rambo'' look like "tupperware parties". ''Die Hard'' was one of several 1988 films labeled "morally objectionable" by the Roman Catholic Church, along with ''The Last Temptation of Christ (film), The Last Temptation of Christ'', ''Bull Durham'' and ''A Fish Called Wanda''. Robert Davi saw the film with Schwarzenegger; Schwarzenegger was positive, but did not like Davi's character narrative, saying, "You were heroic! And now you've turned into an idiot!"


Accolades

At the 61st Academy Awards, 1989 Academy Awards, ''Die Hard'' was nominated for Academy Award for Best Film Editing, Best Film Editing for Frank J. Urioste and John F. Link; Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Best Visual Effects for Richard Edlund, Al DiSarro, Brent Boates and Thaine Morris; Academy Award for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Effects Editing for Stephen Hunter Flick and Richard Shorr; and Academy Award for Best Sound, Best Sound for Don Bassman, Don J. Bassman, Kevin F. Cleary, Richard Overton (sound engineer), Richard Overton and Al Overton Jr. Michael Kamen won a BMI Awards, BMI TV/Film Music Award for his work on the score.


Post-release


Home media

''Die Hard'' was released on Video Home System (VHS) cassette in January 1989. It was a popular rental, debuting as the third-most rented film on the early February rental charts, rising to number one the following week. It spent six of its first seven weeks in release at number one until it was replaced by ''A Fish Called Wanda'' at the end of March. By 1997, it was estimated to have earned $36million from rentals. ''Die Hard'' was released on DVD-Video, DVD in 1999 as part of a collection with its sequels '' Die Hard 2'' (1990) and '' Die Hard with a Vengeance'' (1995). It was released separately as a special edition DVD in 2001, including commentary by McTiernan, De Govia, and Edlund, and deleted scenes, trailers and behind-the-scenes images. It was released on Blu-ray in 2007. ''Die Hard: The Nakatomi Plaza Collection'' was released in 2015, collecting all five ''Die Hard'' films on Blu-ray in a container shaped like Nakatomi Plaza. For its 30th anniversary in 2018, a remastered 4K resolution version was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray; the set also includes a standard Blu-ray and digital download. A limited-edition SteelBook case version was also released.


Other media

''Die Hard'' merchandise includes clothing, Funko Pops, coloring and activity books, crockery, Christmas jumpers and ornaments, and an illustrated Christmas book retelling the film. A third-person shooter video game, ''Die Hard (video game), Die Hard'', was released in 1989 for the Commodore 64 and Microsoft Windows, Windows. Different top-down shooter versions were released for the TurboGrafx-16 and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The TurboGrafx-16 edition begins with McClane fighting terrorists in a jungle; the NES version offers a "foot meter" that slows McClane's movements after he repeatedly steps on shattered glass. ''Die Hard Trilogy'' (1996), a popular game for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation, adapted the first three ''Die Hard'' films. In 1997, the Japanese arcade game ''Dynamite Deka'' was redesigned and released in western territories as ''Die Hard Arcade''. Players choose either McClane or secondary character Chris Thompsen to battle through Nakatomi Plaza, defeat terrorists led by White Fang, and rescue the President's daughter. Two first-person shooters were released in 2002: ''Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza'', which recreates the events of ''Die Hard'', and ''Die Hard: Vendetta'', which serves as a narrative sequel to the film, pitting McClane against Gruber's son Piet. ''Die Hard: The Ultimate Visual History''—a book chronicling the development of the ''Die Hard'' film series—was released in 2018 to coincide with the film's 30th anniversary. A board game based on the film was released in 2019. Developed by USAopoly, ''Die Hard: The Nakatomi Heist'' casts up to four players as McClane, Gruber, and his terrorists, each vying to complete their opposing tasks.


Thematic analysis

''Die Hard'' has been described by critics such as Richard Brody and Chris Hewitt as a story about obtaining redemption through violence. McClane comes to Los Angeles to save his marriage, but makes the same mistakes that drove Holly away; Brody and Hewitt suggest that it is only after McClane defeats the terrorists through violence that their marriage is seemingly reconciled. Similarly, Powell is haunted after accidentally shooting a child and finds redemption by drawing his gun to shoot Karl. Several male characters who are driven by rage or ego suffer for it including the FBI agents, Karl, Ellis, and McClane who nearly loses Holly by showing off after shooting Gruber. Ebert notes the more even-tempered characters—often African American—fare better. McClane identifies himself as a Roman Catholic, a religion requiring penance to earn redemption. Brody said that McClane endures physical punishment, including his feet being cut by glass shards to create bloody "stigmata". In making these sacrifices, he salvages his family. In this sense, McClane can be seen as a modern, working-class Jesus, Christ-like figure. Alexander Boon compares McClane violently reclaiming his wife to the Greek figure Odysseus slaughtering Suitors of Penelope, his wife's suitors. McClane is rewarded for his masculinity, despite demonstrating negative male traits. Jeffrey Brown believed McClane's undershirt emphasizes his masculine physical form. This outfit is worn by other action characters like Rambo, and female characters displaying masculine traits such as Rachel McLish (''Aces: Iron Eagle III'') and Linda Hamilton (''Terminator 2: Judgment Day''). Powell and Argyle are not McClane's physical equals but they prioritize relationships, and when called on to act, they succeed. McClane possesses an imposing physicality but is clumsy and reliant on improvisation, and succeeds only because of the relationships with his allies. It is McClane and Powell's relationship that is particularly instrumental to McClane's success. The pair share a non-romantic intimacy that enables McClane to confess his failings as a husband in a way he did not with Holly, allowing McClane to grow as a person. Gruber fails because he is isolated, self-interested, and sacrifices his team for his own survival. Peter Parshall observed that McClane and Gruber are reflections of each other. Brody contrasts McClane—an all-American stereotype compared to Western cowboy stars like Roy Rogers, John Wayne and Gary Cooper—to Gruber, a classically educated, European villain who refers to America as a "bankrupt" culture. Elizabeth Abele wrote that when compared to the superheroes of the previous decade in films like ''Superman (1978 film), Superman'' (1978) and ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (1981), McClane is portrayed as physically but realistically masculine, conveying the idea of a "real man" who possesses independent, intrinsic strength. According to Justin Chang and Mark Olsen, this can be seen as a response to Reaganism—the political positions of United States president Ronald Reagan—promoting values of the American dream, self-reliance, initiative, and technological advancement. Willis believes that if given the choice, McClane would pass the responsibility of dealing with the terrorists onto anyone else, but he is ultimately compelled to serve as a reluctant hero. When the character is introduced, he is wearing his wedding ring. Scott Tobias wrote this serves as a symbol of his marital commitment. Holly is presented as the opposite; she uses her maiden name and is not wearing her wedding ring. Instead, she is gifted a Rolex watch by her employers, serving as a symbol of her commitment to her job and the division in her marriage. When McClane unclasps the watch at the film's end to free Holly from Gruber's grasp, the totem of their separation is broken, and they appear to have reconciled. Parshall describes the negative portrayals of female characters in ''Die Hard''. They appear sexualized in Pin-up model, pin-up posters, suggest drinking while pregnant, or are away from their families on Christmas Eve at a work function. Holly takes a position of authority following her boss's death, but that power is delegated to her by Gruber, and it is used in traditionally feminine ways, to care for her colleagues. Takagi is replaced in Holly's life with a different dominant male, McClane. Darin Payne wrote that ''Die Hard'' reflects the contemporary decline of men as the main household earner as more women joined the workforce and Blue-collar worker, blue-collar jobs were being lost to foreign countries. In response, an American cowboy saves the day, rescuing his captured wife from a foreign-owned tower. ''Die Hard'' has elements that are anti-government, anti-bureaucracy and anti-corporation. A terrorist asserts McClane cannot harm him because there are rules for policemen, rules he intends to exploit. McClane responds "so my captain keeps telling me", suggesting that he operates outside of bureaucratically approved procedures. Brody wrote that the police often present a bigger obstacle than the terrorists. They believe they are in control of events, unaware the terrorists have already anticipated their every action. The police chief is portrayed as incompetent, and the FBI is shown to be indifferent to the lives of the hostages as long as they kill the terrorists. McClane is an everyman fighting against terrorists who are dressed like elite big-city workers. As Ellis states, the only difference between the corporate employees and the terrorists is that he uses a pen and Gruber uses a gun. The police, the FBI, and an intrusive journalist are each punished for standing in McClane's way. Parshall noted the Christmas setting can be seen as an attack on traditional societal values. The corporation hosts a party on Christmas Eve, keeping employees away from their families, and the villains cynically appropriate Christmas iconographies. By defeating them, McClane upholds tradition and defends society. Alongside the mainly German group of terrorists, Nakatomi Plaza is owned by a Japanese corporation, and the hostages are American. Brody identified this as reflecting American anxieties about foreign powers at a time when Japanese technology firms threatened to dominate the American technology industry. When McClane prevails, the suggestion is that American ingenuity will prevail. America's old enemies, Germany and Japan, are portrayed as having forsaken their integrity in the pursuit of financial gain. Dave Kehr said the film embodies a resentful 1980s "blue-collar rage" against feminists, yuppies, the media, the authorities and foreign nationals. Brody notes that the film can also be considered progressive in its portrayal of its African American characters, as cast members VelJohnson, Gilyard, and White are featured in prominent and important roles. ''The A.V. Club'' noted that unlike many other 1980s films, ''Die Hard'' is not an allegory for the Vietnam War. The film mocks the idea when one FBI agent remarks that their helicopter assault is reminiscent of the war; his partner responds that at the time he was only in middle school. Even so, ''Empire (film magazine), Empire'' believed the film references Vietnam by showcasing an ill-equipped local taking on highly equipped foreign invaders; this time America wins. Drew Ayers described the complex layout of Nakatomi Plaza as analogous to the concealing jungles of Vietnam.


Legacy


Influence on the film industry

Before ''Die Hard''s release, Hollywood action films often starred muscle-bound men like Schwarzenegger and Stallone, who portrayed invincible, infallible, catchphrase-spouting heroes in unrealistic settings. Willis's portrayal of John McClane redefined the action genre, presenting a normal person with an average physique completely counter to that archetype. He is failing, both personally and professionally, and serves as a vulnerable, identifiable hero who openly sobs, admits his fear of death, and sustains lasting damage. Importantly, his one-liners do not come from a place of superiority over his foes, but as a nervous reaction to the extreme situation in which he finds himself, which he is only able to overcome through enduring suffering and using his own initiative. Similarly, Rickman's portrayal of Gruber redefined action villains who had previously been bland figures or eccentric madmen. Gruber ushered in the clever nemesis; he is an educated, intelligent villain, who serves as the antithesis of the hero. He has been referred to as one of the most iconic villains in the genre. ''Empire'' magazine called Gruber one of the finest villains since Darth Vader. Rickman described the role as a "huge event" in his life. Though other more typical 1980s-style action films were released, the genre gradually shifted to a focus on smaller, more confined settings, everyman heroes, and charming villains with competent plans. ''Die Hard'' raised Willis from television stardom to worldwide recognition and brought fame to Rickman. Willis's salary was seen as the peak of the 1980s bidding wars between new and old managers vying for jobs. ''The New York Times'' described it as the salary equivalent of an "earthquake" and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM/UA chairman Alan Ladd Jr. said that it threw "the business out of whack ... like everybody else in town, I was stunned." It was seen as the most substantial change to salaries since Dustin Hoffman was paid $5.5million to star in ''Tootsie'' (1982) at a time when top salaries ranged from $2million–$3million. It was expected that salaries for major stars would increase significantly to ensure they were paid more than a newer star like Willis. McTiernan transitioned his success into directing an adaptation of one of his favorite novels, ''The Hunt for Red October (film), The Hunt for Red October'' (1990). VelJohnson's performance resulted in his casting in the 1989–1998 sitcom ''Family Matters''.


Cultural influence

In 2017, ''Die Hard'' was selected by the United States
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
to be preserved in the
National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...
for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In July 2007, Bruce Willis donated the undershirt worn in the film to the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution. The blood and sweat-stained shirt is considered iconic, an emblem of McClane's difference from archetypal, invincible heroes. Fox Plaza has become a popular tourist attraction, although the building itself cannot be toured. A floor used for filming became Ronald Reagan's office. When his head of staff toured the under-construction area, it was littered with broken glass and cartridge cases. A giant mural depicting McClane's crawl through a Nakatomi Plaza vent was erected at the Fox Studio lot in Century City to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary in 2013. One of the most influential films of the 1980s, ''Die Hard'' served as the blueprint for action films that came after, especially throughout the 1990s. The term "''Die Hard'' on/in a..." has become shorthand to describe a lone, everyman hero who must overcome an overwhelming opposing force in a relatively small and confined location. Examples include: ''Under Siege'' (1992, "''Die Hard'' on a battleship"); ''Cliffhanger (film), Cliffhanger'' (1993, "''Die Hard'' on a mountain"); ''
Speed In kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a non-negative scalar quantity. Intro ...
'' (1994, "''Die Hard'' on a bus"); and ''Con Air'' or ''Air Force One (film), Air Force One'' (1997, "''Die Hard'' on a plane"). Willis himself recalled being pitched a film that was "''Die Hard'' in a skyscraper". He said he was sure it had already been done. It was not until the 1996 action-thriller film ''The Rock (film), The Rock'' ("''Die Hard'' on Alcatraz Island"), that the tone of action films changed significantly, and the increasing use of CGI effects allowed films to move beyond the limitations of real locations and practical stunts. Writing for ''The Guardian'' in 2018, Scott Tobias observed that none of these later films readily captured the complete effectiveness of the ''Die Hard'' story. The film has been a source of inspiration for filmmakers including: Lexi Alexander, Darren Aronofsky, Brad Bird, Joe Carnahan, Gareth Evans (director), Gareth Evans, Barry Jenkins, Joe Lynch (director), Joe Lynch, Paul Scheer, Brian Taylor (filmmaker), Brian Taylor, Dan Trachtenberg, Colin Trevorrow, and Paul W. S. Anderson. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was among the action films director James Gunn recommended people watch. The film's popularity has seen it referenced across a wide variety of media, including TV shows, films; video games; music; and novels. It has even been referenced in media targeted at children. Willis cameos as McClane in the 1993 parody film ''Loaded Weapon 1''. There has been much debate over whether ''Die Hard'' is a Christmas film. Those in favor argue that the Christmas setting is sufficient to qualify it as a Christmas film. Those opposed argue that it is an action film whose events happen to take place at Christmas. A 2017 YouGov poll of over 5,000 British citizens determined that only 31% believed that ''Die Hard'' is a Christmas film; those who did skewed under the age of 24, while those opposed were mainly over 50. A similar 2018 Morning Consult poll of 2,200 American citizens determined that only 25% supported its status as a Christmas film. Those aged between 30 and 44, who were young during the peak of the film's popularity, were most in favor. De Souza and Stuart support it being a Christmas film, while Willis feels it is not. On the film's 30th anniversary in 2018, 20th Century Fox stated that it was "the greatest Christmas story ever told", releasing a re-edited ''Die Hard'' trailer that portrays it as a traditional Christmas film. According to De Souza, Silver predicted the film would be played at Christmas and holiday season, Christmastime for years.


Critical reassessment

''Die Hard'' is now considered one of the greatest action films ever made. On the film's 30th-anniversary in 2018, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote that ''Die Hard'' was easily one of the most influential films in the action genre, whose influence could still be seen in contemporary films. ''The Guardian'' and the British Film Institute regard it as the "quintessential" American action film, the latter calling it one of the ten greatest action films of all time. ''Deadline Hollywood'' labeled it a staple of the action genre, that launched a "classic" franchise. Writing for ''Vanity Fair (magazine), Vanity Fair'', K. Austin Collins said that despite the number of times he had viewed the film, it remained a persistently satisfying and well-crafted piece. It is listed in the 2003 film reference book ''1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die'', which says that the film "...effectively redefines the action movie as one-man-army." A retrospective review by ''The A.V. Club'' said that Willis's everyman persona is key to the film's success. Rickman said he believed it had continued to find fans decades after its release because it was delivered with wit and style. Contemporary review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes offers a approval rating from the aggregated reviews of critics, with an average rating of . The consensus reads, "Its many imitators (and sequels) have never come close to matching the taut thrills of the definitive holiday action classic." The film also has a score of 72 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Readers of ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it the number ten action film of all time in a 2015 poll, while ''Empire'' readers voted it number 20 in 2017. In 2001, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked ''Die Hard'' number 39 on its AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, 100 Years... 100 Thrills list recognizing the most "heart-pounding" films. In 2008, ''Empire'' ranked it number 29 on its list of the 500 Greatest Movies of all Time. In 2014, ''The Hollywood Reporter''s entertainment industry-voted ranking named it the eighty-third-best film of all time. The film's characters have also been recognized. In 2003, the AFI ranked Hans Gruber number 46 on its AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains, 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains list. In 2006, ''Empire'' ranked McClane number 12 on its list of its '100 Greatest Movie Characters'; Gruber followed at number 17. Several publications have listed it as one of the greatest action films of all time, including: number one by ''Empire'', ''IGN'' and ''Entertainment Weekly''; number 10 by ''Time Out New York''; number 14 by ''The Guardian''; number 18 by ''Men's Health'' and unranked by ''Complex Networks, Complex'', ''Esquire (magazine), Esquire'' and ''Evening Standard''. Adding to the debate over ''Die Hard''s status as a Christmas film, it has appeared on several lists of the top holiday films, including at number one by ''Empire'' and ''San Francisco Gate'', number four by ''Entertainment Weekly'' and ''The Hollywood Reporter'', number five by Digital Spy, and number eight in a ''Radio Times'' readers' poll.


Sequels

The success of ''Die Hard'' spawned four film sequels, beginning with ''Die Hard2'' in 1990, which was rushed into production to capitalize on the original's popularity. Stuart and McTiernan did not return for the film; McTiernan was replaced by Renny Harlin. ''Die Hard2'' is the last film in the series to feature the involvement of De Souza, Bedelia, VelJohnson, Atherton, Silver, and Gordon. Silver and Gordon fell out with each other and Willis after filming concluded, delaying the production of a third film—''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' (1995). This sequel also took longer to develop because of the difficulty in scripting an original scenario that had not already been used by one of ''Die Hard''s many imitators. McTiernan returned to direct ''Die Hard with a Vengeance''; his only other film in the series. The film's plot pits McClane against Hans Gruber's brother, Simon (Jeremy Irons). ''
Live Free or Die Hard ''Live Free or Die Hard'' (released as ''Die Hard 4.0'' outside North America) is a 2007 American action thriller film directed by Len Wiseman, the fourth installment in the Die Hard (franchise), ''Die Hard'' film series. It is based on the 199 ...
''—also known as ''Die Hard 4.0''—was released in 2007. In it, McClane teams up with a hacker (Justin Long) to fight cyber terrorists led by Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant). The film was controversial for its studio-mandate to target younger audiences, requiring much of the violence and profanity prevalent in the rest of the series to be excluded. Even so, it was financially and critically successful. The fifth film in the series, '' A Good Day to Die Hard'' (2013), teams McClane up with his son Jack for an adventure in Moscow. The film was considered a financial success. It was derided by critics and fans, and the negative reception stalled the franchise. ''A Good Day to Die Hard'' is considered the weakest entry in the series. Although Willis expressed interest in a sixth and final film, plans for a prequel film were cancelled following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in 2019, and Willis retired from acting in 2022, after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition which affects his ability to communicate. ''Die Hard'' remains the most critically acclaimed film in the series based on aggregated reviews. As the sequels progressed, they increasingly hewed closer to the 1980s-style action films ''Die Hard'' had eschewed, McClane becoming an invincible killing machine surviving damage that would have killed his original incarnation. NPR called ''Die Hard'' a "genuinely great" movie whose legacy has been tarnished by lackluster sequels. According to ''The Guardian'', the evolution of the action genre can be tracked by the differences in each ''Die Hard'' sequel, as McClane evolves from human into a superhuman. A comic book prequel and sequel have been released: ''Die Hard: Year One'' is set in 1976 and chronicles McClane as a rookie officer; ''A Million Ways to Die Hard'' is set 30 years after ''Die Hard'', and features a retired McClane seeking out a serial killer.


References


Notes


Citations


Works cited

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External links

* * * * {{bots, deny=Citation bot 1980s American films 1980s Christmas films 1980s English-language films 1980s police films 1988 action films 20th Century Fox films American action films American Christmas films American police films Die Hard English-language action films English-language Christmas films Fictional portrayals of the Los Angeles Police Department Films about hostage taking Films about murderers Films about terrorism in the United States Films about the Federal Bureau of Investigation Films based on American thriller novels Films directed by John McTiernan Films produced by Joel Silver Films produced by Lawrence Gordon Films scored by Michael Kamen Films set in 1988 Films set in California Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles Films with screenplays by Jeb Stuart Films with screenplays by Steven E. de Souza Siege films Silver Pictures films United States National Film Registry films