Where to watch Die Hard (1988)

Trivia & production notes

• Screenwriter Jeb Stuart was facing financial difficulties when he was brought in to adapt the novel Nothing Lasts Forever, having six weeks of free time between other contracted work.
• Stuart conceived the core emotional conflict of Die Hard—a man who should have reconciled with his wife before disaster strikes—while driving on a freeway after an argument, when he was forced to run over a cardboard box.
• The protagonist was originally named John Ford, but 20th Century Fox rejected the name as disrespectful to the deceased film director of the same name.
• John McTiernan only agreed to direct Die Hard if the film would contain some joy rather than simply featuring mean and nasty acts like other terrorist films of the era.
• Frank Sinatra was contractually obliged to be offered the role of John McClane due to the studio's prior agreement with him, and the 70-year-old actor declined.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger turned down the role of John McClane because he wanted to pursue comedy, choosing instead to star in Twins.
• Bruce Willis was able to take the role only because his television co-star Cybill Shepherd became pregnant, forcing Moonlighting into an eleven-week production hiatus that freed up his schedule.
• Bruce Willis received $5 million for Die Hard, matching the salaries of established film stars like Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty, despite having appeared in only one other film.
• Alan Rickman made his screen debut as Hans Gruber after Joel Silver saw him perform in a Broadway production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
• Hart Bochner's portrayal of Ellis differed significantly from director McTiernan's vision of a suave Cary Grant type, as Bochner instead played the character as motivated by cocaine use and insecurity.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Die Hard, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewritten for StreamShack; errors are ours — tell us about them.