Die Hard
40 stories of sheer adventure!
Country
Production
Budget
$28 000 000
Revenue
$140 767 956
Director
Actors
Scenario
Producer
Joel Silver, Lawrence Gordon, Beau Marks, Charles Gordon
Operator
Composer
Artist
Jackson DeGovia, William J. Durrell Jr., Craig Edgar
Audition
Jackie Burch
Editing
John F. Link, Frank J. Urioste
All team (209)
All team (209)
Short description
Die Hard follows John McClane, a New York police officer who travels to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his estranged wife Holly, who has built a career at a large corporation. When her company's holiday party at the Nakatomi Plaza skyscraper is interrupted by armed men who seize the building and take the guests hostage, McClane slips away. Cut off from the outside and with little more than his service pistol and a radio, he works alone to disrupt the intruders and keep the hostages alive, among them his wife. The group is led by Hans Gruber, whose plans extend beyond the political demands he announces.
John McTiernan directed the film, his third feature, arriving between Predator and The Hunt for Red October. Steven E. de Souza and Jeb Stuart wrote the screenplay, and Joel Silver, Lawrence Gordon and Beau Marks produced it for 20th Century Fox, Silver Pictures and the Gordon Company. Bruce Willis plays McClane, with Alan Rickman as Gruber, Bonnie Bedelia as Holly, Alexander Godunov as Karl, Reginald VelJohnson as Al Powell and Paul Gleason as Dwayne Robinson. Made for about 28 million dollars, it took roughly 141 million worldwide, a strong return that established Willis as an action lead. On IMDb it holds 8.2 from a million votes, with 7.8 on TMDB and 8.9 from 89 critics' reviews, a rare case of critics rating it higher than audiences.
What's left behind the scenes
- The book the film is based on is a sequel to the novel "Detective," which was also adapted for the screen. Frank Sinatra played the main role in it. Bruce Willis made his debut in 1980 in the film "First Deadly Sin." In one of the film's episodes, Bruce’s character leaves the bar, and at the same moment, Sinatra’s character enters it.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, and Richard Gere all auditioned for the role of John McClane. Bruce Willis was only the fifth candidate on the list.
- Initially, the film was translated by illegal publishers under the title “Die Hard, But with Dignity.” In A. Gavrilov’s translation, the film appeared under the title “Indestructible.” When the film was released in Soviet cinemas in 1991, it was shown under the now-established title “Die Hard.”
- The film is based on Roderick Thorpe's novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" (1979).
- Filming took place from November 2, 1987, to March 4, 1988.
- During the filming of the scene in which Hans Gruber falls from the roof of the building, actor Alan Rickman actually fell from a height of 6 meters.
- The music playing during the scene where Powell kills Karl is an unused track from James Horner’s soundtrack to “Aliens” (1986).
- The Spanish title of the film is "Jungle of Crystal", the Polish title is "Glass Trap". The Hungarian title is "Give Your Life for More", the sequel's title is "Your Life is Even More Valuable", and the third film's title is "Life is Always Precious".
- Bruce Willis personally recommended Bonnie Bedelia for the role of his wife.
- When John arrives at the Nakatomi building at the beginning of the film and tries to find his wife among the employees using a computer, the surname on the touch panel is displayed as "Gennaro" before being pressed, and then as "Gennero".
- The scene where Gruber and McClane meet was added to the script after it was discovered that Alan Rickman could convincingly imitate an American accent.
- Rehearsals were not held for the scene where the characters of Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman meet, in order to achieve a more convincing effect of spontaneity.
- Originally, it was planned that the Nakatomi building would be controlled by a supercomputer.
- When the film first appeared in Russia, it was known under various titles, including "Indestructible," "Stubborn," and "Die Hard, But with Dignity." The official Russian title of the film – "Die Hard" – became established somewhat later. A literal Russian translation of the film's title is "Resist to the End" or "Be Steadfast."
- The main weapon of Gruber's group was the HK MP5A3 submachine gun, but modified HK94 self-loading carbines were used in its place.
- When McClane enters the lobby of Nakatomi Plaza, he examines with great interest a technological novelty of the time—an information terminal equipped with a touch screen.
- John McTiernan deliberately avoided showing close-ups of Hans Gruber's face when he fired a weapon, because Alan Rickman flinched with every shot, which, of course, did not fit the image of a tough and ruthless terrorist.
- In Roderick Thorpe’s book, the protagonist saves his daughter from criminals. In the film, it’s his wife.
- In one of the final scenes of the film, Hans tells McClane that this time "John Wayne won't ride off into the sunset with Grace Kelly." To which McClane replies: "That was Gary Cooper, you bastard." This verbal exchange is a reference to the film "High Noon."
- Much of the script is improvisation by the actors and crew, as many scenes were devised directly during filming.
- Helsinki Syndrome is a reference to Stockholm syndrome. It is unknown why the filmmakers decided to change the name.
- The two surviving terrorists never showed whether they had any weapons at all, nor did they make any attempt to intimidate the hostages.
- Following the film's release, tourists are prohibited from taking any photographs inside the Fox Plaza building, where filming took place.
- It is believed that Bruce Willis's lines in the scene where he removes a shard of glass from his foot were improvised by the actor. However, according to the original script, Bruce only added a little of his own.
- Carl's weapon is a Steyr AUG.
- Concurrently with filming "Die Hard," Bruce Willis was starring in "Moonlighting." Willis typically filmed for the television series during the day, while filming for McTiernan's film took place in the evenings and at night.
- John McTiernan repeatedly declined offers to direct this film.
- The addresses and phone numbers of the Nakatomi Plaza managers mirror the real addresses and phone numbers of the Fox Plaza managers, where the film was shot.
- In the German version of the film, the terrorists' names were changed from traditionally German to British: Hans became Jack; Karl became Charlie; Heinrich became Henry. The name and goals of the terrorist group were also changed – they became radical Irish activists who had broken away from the main organization and taken hostages not to pursue any goals, but for profit.
- The building used for filming was designed by architect William Pereira and became one of his last projects. The architect died in 1985.
- The phrases in German spoken by the terrorists are sometimes grammatically incorrect and nonsensical. In the German version of the film, the terrorists are not originally from Germany, but "somewhere in Europe."
- For his role in the film, Bruce Willis received an unheard-of fee for him at the time, amounting to $5 million.
- Hans Gruber was named after a character from "A High Wind in Jamaica" (1966).
- In the film, one of the cops says that John McClane "could be a good bartender." Before starting his acting career, Bruce actually worked as a bartender.
- The official poster for the film featured no mention of Bruce Willis or his image, only a massive building. Producers deliberately refrained from including the actor’s face to avoid scaring away Bruce Willis’s detractors from watching the film. After it became clear that the film was successful at the box office, posters with the actor’s image also appeared.
- The phrase "Yipee-ki-yay, motherfucker!" is uttered in all films of the franchise.
- Hans Gruber and the other terrorists arrive at the Nakatomi Plaza building in a truck belonging to Pacific Courier. In "Die Hard with a Vengeance" (1995), during the explosion of the store at the very beginning of the film, a truck can be seen parked near the building. The truck belongs to Atlantic Courier. In "Speed" (1994), "Pacific Courier" is also written on the side of the plane.
- The scene where McClane falls into the elevator shaft was the result of a failed stunt. Initially, the stuntman was supposed to grab the first ventilation opening. However, the filmmakers left the shot in, editing it with a shot of McClane grabbing the next ventilation opening, believing it would look more exciting.
- The Nakatomi Building is actually the headquarters of 20th Century Fox studio.
- Actor Anthony Peck, who played the role of the young cop, later appeared in a sequel to the film ("Die Hard 3: Vengeance") as police officer Ricky Walsh.
- The film's script was originally written as a sequel to "Commando." However, after Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to star in the continuation, the script underwent significant changes.
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Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
