Almost 10 years since A Good day to Die Hard and several more Bruce Willis straight to DVD action films, Die Hard 6 would be his perfect comeback whether for theatrical or streaming release and here is why.
From stopping planes, jumping off buildings, car chases, puzzling mind games, techno terrorists, Chernobyl, the Die Hard series has seen it all, giving audiences golden blockbuster entertainment for 25 years and the series is’nt finished yet. The release of Die Hard 6 may just be a matter of time. A down to earth cop getting stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time, never gets old, leaving him to find a way to bust himself to safety and save the day.
In terms of a realistic and relatable action series, Die Hard remains right at the top in that rare category of action films, with intelligence, quick wit and a delicate focus on family keeping the franchise going. The character of John Mcclane is one of cinemas most beloved action heroes of all time, belonging in the field of Rambo, Terminator, John Wick and pretty much most of the 80’s/90’s action heroes, but there is something special about John Mcclane. Even the soundtrack for these films have been a mighty success.
The Die Hard films are entertaining action films that have fairly realistic action scenes and scenarios. I actually like to think of the first film as more of a drama, with its intense situations and family element. This is helped because of the villain relationship with Mcclane, the dialogue is very smart. It is noted that the series evolved to be more ridiclious as the series progressed with Die Hard 5 being the one that took away the element of realism with the explosive, Behind Enemy Lines director John Moore controlling and orchestrating the feature to critical downfall. The car chase stands out for me for being the scene that took it a bit too far and one that didn’t quite belong in the Die Hard series, yet its still fun to watch.
Bruce Willis isn’t getting any younger but this could work for his benefit. We have seen Stallone’s Rambo age like a fine wine, morphing into the realm of Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino character, which is a pretty good compliment. Even the Rambo series provided some intelligent contextual post-war commentary on vietnam vets but in a cinematic setting.
The good news about the Die Hard series is that because they haven’t been narrative focused, the films always leave room for more films because its mainly the character that audiences love and after 5 films, the character has enough layers for more films, but only one more to finish the series off in my opinion.
It would great to see an older John Mcclane who reflects on the life and experiences he’s had, but yet still have that charm that audiences love. What works in the Die Hard series is that if you take away the action label and look at the character and situation, its those elements that really sell the picture.
This character is stuck in a situation he didn’t ask for and has to use his wit to get himself out of it and usually save the world. Its intelligent action scenes. A great example would be Die Hard 3, which had a few puzzles for Mcclane and Jackson to work through.
Despite some use of CGI, the Die Hard series usually prides itself with practical action scenes, there is a real care and attention to detail that each director has brought to the series, even the fifth film had a car chase with real vehicles, despite it feeling out of context, making it rather humorous as Mcclane nearly ends the lives of a few hopeless passengers. Although, the better car chase belongs in Die Hard 3.
John Mcclane is a great character who everyone can relate with. Although Die Hard 5 received poor reviews, it was still the series third highest grossing film, earning over twice as much as 2019’s fifth installment,Rambo Last Blood. This to me shows that audiences would still be interested to see Mcclane in another adventure and the series is financially profitable, but this time due to his age and experience, the film could be shot around this element and I would love to see it as the films main selling point.
I think some film franchises remain timeless in each generation, whilst some simply die. John Mcclane and the Die Hard series is timeless. Each installment offers a different action scenario that I think still works today for the action audience. Some 80’s/90’s actions films haven’t aged as well as what they could have been. The Die Hard series has a degree of intelligence and tries to be more than a standard B film, except for the fifth installment, which at least had a father/son dynamic, titled A Good Day to Die Hard which was more of mind numbing action.
I really believe that the Die Hard series is for all audiences, you don’t have to only like action to get on board with the series. As I said, there is a dramatic element to each film, providing the character with a different obstacle in each film. With that, there is some vulnerability that you can get behind. Its more believable action than the Rambo films and perhaps Terminator because its plot’s context is more fantasy and science fiction driven. Die Hard sits right at home with you on the couch as you sip a cold one with a bag of crisps after a hard days work at the office.
We’ve seen John Mcclane be a father, hero, husband, cop, buddy and now we may see him as a man who has seen it all and ready to retire with a beautiful legacy that spans across nearly 25 years of cherished cinema. I can’t think of a more juicy premise for a Die Hard film, it just works on all levels.
We know Bruce Willis can act and be this character, there is no one else to play him and this series needs and deserves the perfect send-off to one of cinema’s coolest characters of all time and that you cant deny. John Rambo got his and now John Mcclane is ready.
Bruce Willis’s performances have been centered around disgruntled masculine characters, such as Looper, Glass and even some of his streaming action films, including First Kill. His next career moves hopefully begin to resemble the Gran Tarino character protrayal, only this time with the wit and charm.
This character certainly isn’t ready to Die just yet, with 5 established films giving the character several layers, audiences are more than pumped to see this series conclude in fine fashion, it seems to be more fitting and natural than needing a beverage after a long and satisfying run in the heat.
Die Hard 6 would be unique and original which is just awesome to think of in today’s age of cinema. We have’nt seen an action character last this long in cinema and still maintain the interest of audiences and directors in Hollywood since 88.
As it stands, I’m afraid to say that Die Hard 6 hasn’t been confirmed, but this may not last forever. In this day and age of cinema and covid, we really can’t say no to any project. The Expendables 4 was actually canceled for many years and now we have it flying into cinemas this year, with a cast of serious talent including Andy Garcia.
We know Disney canceled the project a while ago, but after Bruce Willi’s iconic Die Hard car battery commercial was released, audiences were pumped to see that action iconography back on the screen. All we need now is a brave director, someone who really understands the character of John Mcclane, give him a nice character focused story with heart stopping action and now we have our picture. There is a lot of talent floating around Hollywood and I am more than sure that one of them would be keen to get their hands on this project at some point in the future.
Most of the rumours surrounding the sixth film had Die Hard 4’s Len Wiseman returning as director and a story that told John Mcclane’s backstory. This seems fun and different for the series, yet I still want to see a more veteran John Mcclane, who has this rich legacy that will entertain audiences for generations, I really believe that this is a project that Hollywood should be serious about pursuing. Its the sixth film but yet it would still be as fresh as a brand new bag of lettuce, ready to slot itself nicely in a juicy burger.
With Disney’s streaming services and market growing by the second, it certainly is’nt impossible for them to renew their interest in the project. Disney are interested in targeting a larger audience by showing films and TV across all genres and franchises to audiences. Die Hard to me fits in with their ambitions to grow, it could be the perfect opportunity. It looks like Disney have begun taking control over the Predator series, which shows that creative control for franchises is of big interest, even Netflix would be interested.
For audiences who dismiss these films for just popcorn entertainment, it is worth noting the intelligence of the action scenes where Mcclane has to be smart enough to get himself out are very noteworthy and keep this series a notch above the rest. The action scenes do genuinely feel grounded in reality and come across as natural to how the plot progresses.
Considering it’s one of Hollywood’s most successful franchises, upon taking apart each film, they are not as Hollywood as you may think, with each film containing elements of real drama and chaos.
Even to this day, the Die Hard series seems to tick all of the boxes of what makes a great action concept, explosive action, family, villains, relatable hero and a touch of brains sprinkled in its utter madness. Although, the fifth film was more of a downer, I have really enjoyed each Die Hard film, even the fourth Die Hard has gotten better with age. The series has maintained a fairly high standard and there is no reason why it cant re-innovate this idea and concept.
It has to be said this series has acquired a collection of mighty directors and writers, which include, John Mctiernan (Predator), Len Wiseman (Underworld series), Steven E. de Souza (48 Hours) and Jeb Stuart (The Fugitive), who is writing the upcoming Assassin’s Creed series.
With Terminator, Blade Runner, Rambo, Mission Impossible, Alien, Predator, Indiana Jones, Top Gun, Bond, Mad Max, surely Die Hard deserves the right to extend its legacy into the medium, whether that’s TV or film, lets hope and find out.
Are you ready for Die Hard 6?
You can buy the Die Hard series on blu ray here.
Author Bio
Sam is a content writer. He loves all elements connected with film and writes with passion, always. You can find him on Linkedin, where you will be able to read more articles. When he is not writing, you can find him practicing football.
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