Die Hard

Die Hard is an action film released in 1988, written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Sousa, starring Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman, William Atherton, directed by John McTiernan. The film features Willis as a sympathetic hero with typical human weaknesses, unlike the Übermensch heroes typically played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. A huge critical and commercial success, Die Hard propelled Willis' film career, giving him more credibility in action and dramatic roles, and helped Alan Rickman become a popular player of villains in American film.

Related Topics:
Action film - 1988 - Bruce Willis - Bonnie Bedelia - Alan Rickman - William Atherton - John McTiernan - Übermensch - Arnold Schwarzenegger

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The movie is based on a 1970s novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book, Detective, which was previously made into a movie starring Frank Sinatra). The novel's hero is John McClane, a cop who is in a Los Angeles skyscraper when a gang of German terrorists led by Hans Gruber takes over the building, with his wife in it. (Interestingly, in the German releases of the movie, the terrorists were renamed to conceal their national background.) McClane must battle the terrorists and rescue her. Many parts of the movie are very similar to the book, despite the years that passed between the book's publication and the movie's 1988 release.

Related Topics:
1970s - Roderick Thorp - Frank Sinatra

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The film has spawned two sequels, ' (1990) and ' (1995). The fourth film in the series, currently in production, is titled Die Hard 4.0. In Die Hard 4.0, John McClane will not be a cop, his eldest daughter will have a prominent role, and the plot may include themes of information warfare. A previous attempt at a fourth Die Hard eventually evolved into Tears of the Sun.

Related Topics:
Die Hard 4.0 - Tears of the Sun

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The popularity and impact of Die Hard on the action genre has also led to the coining of the phrase "Die Hard on/in a...", often used when casually referring to action movies of a similar "one man versus the bad guys" plot. For example, the films Under Siege and Speed were both described by critics as "Die Hard on a boat" and "Die Hard on a bus".

Related Topics:
Under Siege - Speed

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