Die Hard director John McTiernan – ‘Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

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Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

Bruce Willis’s breakout action role came with the 1988 film Die Hard, following the less successful comedy Blind Date. Released in the US in July 1988 (and in the UK in February 1989), Die Hard marked a shift for Willis, known at the time for his comedic work on the TV show Moonlighting.

The story….

In Die Hard, Bruce Willis plays John McClane, a New York City police officer who attempts to rescue his soon-to-be ex-wife and a group of hostages. They’ve been taken captive by terrorists during a Christmas Eve party at the Nakatomi Plaza skyscraper in Los Angeles.

The director’s view of whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie….

As a film buff, I always find it interesting to look back at directors’ early work. John McTiernan was still relatively new to feature films when he made Die Hard – it was only his third, following Nomads (which, fun fact, starred a pre-Bond Pierce Brosnan!). But it was Predator that really put him on the map as someone who knew action, and Die Hard just solidified that. Considering it only cost around $28 million to make, the film’s $143 million haul was fantastic. It also launched Bruce Willis into full-blown action stardom. Sadly, the many sequels that followed weren’t quite as good, and the prequel that was planned was cancelled after Bruce received his heartbreaking diagnosis and retired. It’s a real shame, but his performance in the original remains iconic.

That question is asked….

Die Hard is still considered a classic action film, but a popular debate emerged: is it also a Christmas movie? This question became a modern pop culture talking point. The director, John McTiernan, addressed the question directly during a Q&A session with film journalist Ian Nathan at a London screening of the film.

This is the answer he gave….

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2025-12-21 03:23