Die Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E.
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It stars Bruce Willis as New York City police detective John McClane, who confronts armed terrorists during a Christmas Eve attack on a Los Angeles skyscraper. The film is based on Roderick Thorp’s 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever and launched a long-running franchise.
Plot
Die Hard follows John McClane as he tries to stop terrorists who seize Nakatomi Plaza during a Christmas Eve party. The film’s confined setting and lone-hero structure became highly influential in later action cinema.
Production
The film was directed by John McTiernan and adapted from Roderick Thorp’s novel Nothing Lasts Forever. Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza are credited as the screenwriters.
Franchise
Die Hard became the first film in a media franchise that includes four sequels: Die Hard 2, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Live Free or Die Hard, and A Good Day to Die Hard.
Reception and legacy
The film is widely regarded as an influential action movie and helped establish Bruce Willis as an action star. It also became a major pop-culture reference point and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2017.
Key facts
- The film centers on John McClane, a New York City police detective caught in a hostage crisis in Los Angeles.
- It was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza.
- The story is based on the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp.
- It stars Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, and Bonnie Bedelia.
- The film became the first entry in the Die Hard franchise, which later included four sequels.
Die Hard has been widely distributed and discussed in Canada as part of mainstream North American film culture, and it remains a familiar holiday-season action film for Canadian audiences.
Frequently asked questions
What is Die Hard about?
Who directed Die Hard?
What is Die Hard based on?
Who stars in Die Hard?
How many Die Hard sequels are there?
References
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_HardSupports: Basic film facts including year, director, writers, cast, plot, and franchise status.
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Hard_(franchise)Supports: Franchise overview and list of sequels.
- IMFDB — https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Die_HardSupports: Plot summary, preservation in the National Film Registry, and cast/context.
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105598Supports: Identification of Die Hard as a 1988 film directed by John McTiernan.