Die Hard Die Hard Die Hard is a 1988 American action thriller film. It was directed by John McTiernan, and written by Steven E. de Souza and Jeb Stuart. It was produced by the Gordon Company and Silver Pictures, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film follows off-duty New York City Police Department officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) who is caught in a Los Angeles skyscraper during a heist led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). It is based on Roderick Thorp's 1979 novel "Nothing Lasts Forever". Made for $28 million, "Die Hard" grossed over $140 million theatrically worldwide, with the film
Die Hard turning Willis into an action star, and became a metonym for an action film in which a lone hero fights overwhelming odds. The film's success created the "Die Hard" franchise, which includes four sequels, a number of video games, and a comic book, and later in 2017 was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. "Die Hard" has been named one of the best action and Christmas-themed films ever made. The film also ranks on "Empire"s 2017 list of the 100 greatest movies of all time. On Christmas Eve, NYPD detective John McClane arrives in Los Angeles,