Die Hard (franchise)
| Die Hard | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Created by | Roderick Thorp |
| Original work | Nothing Lasts Forever |
| Print publications | |
| Novel(s) |
Nothing Lasts Forever 58 Minutes |
| Comics | Die Hard: Year One |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
Die Hard Die Hard 2 Die Hard with a Vengeance Live Free or Die Hard A Good Day to Die Hard |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) |
Die Hard Die Hard Arcade Die Hard Trilogy Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza Die Hard: Vendetta |
The Die Hard series is an American action film series that began in 1988 with Die Hard, based on the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp. The series follows the adventures of John McClane (portrayed by Bruce Willis), a New York City and Los Angeles police detective who continually finds himself in the middle of violent crises and intrigues where he is the only hope against disaster.
The first film begins on Christmas Eve when McClane comes to reunite with separated wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) in Los Angeles at her company's Christmas party. Holly left to pursue her career with their two children, and uses her maiden name.
At the fictional Nakatomi Plaza, East German terrorists break in and take the celebrants hostage. McClane escapes detection and hides throughout the building. He kills off the gang and learns their real aim, to steal $640 million in bearer bonds from the building's vault. In the finale, McClane shoots the terrorist leader, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), out the window to fall thirty stories.
It was released on July 15, 1988 to positive reviews and grossed $140.8 million worldwide.
The second film takes place a year after the first, again on Christmas Eve. In Washington, D.C., McClane waits for his wife at Washington Dulles International Airport. Mercenaries led by former U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel Stuart (William Sadler) take over the airport communication systems, stranding planes in the air, including the one with McClane's wife. Colonel Stuart wants to free a captured Latin American dictator (Franco Nero) en route to the airport. McClane discovers the plan, including a conspiracy between Stuart and an Army counter-terrorist unit sent to stop him. He foils their plans and provides a visual landing signal for the circling aircraft by exploding the villains' getaway plane.
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Wikipedia