Die Hard is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, and it stars Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, and Bonnie Bedelia. Die Hard follows New York City police detective John McClane who is caught up in a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper while visiting his estranged wife. Reginald VelJohnson, William Atherton, Paul Gleason, and Hart Bochner feature in supporting roles. Stuart was hired by 20th Century Fox to adapt Thorp's novel into a screenplay in 1987. His finished draft was greenlit immediately by Fox, who were 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 and Sylvester Stallone.
| Director | John McTiernan |
| Produced by | Lawrence Gordon, Joel Silver |
| Screenplay by | Jeb Stuart, Steven E. de Souza |
| Starring | Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia |
| Music | Michael Kamen |
| Cinematography | Jan de Bont |
| Edited by | Frank J. Urioste, John F. Link |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Released | July 15, 1988 |
| Running time | 132 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25–35 million |
| Box office | $139.8–141.5 million |
| Netflix ID | 443317 |
About Die Hard
The first film in the popular action series, it features an NYPD officer named John McClane who battles a group of German terrorists in a high-rise in Los Angeles. The film's success led to several sequels, starting with 1990's Die Hard 2.
Achievement of Die Hard
Many of the interiors and exteriors of the film were shot at Fox Plaza in Century City, California while the building was under construction. The building would soon become the corporate headquarters of 20th Century Fox.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Die Hard
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