With each progressive "Die Hard" movie — particularly after "Die Hard With A Vengeance" — the very core fundamentals of what made the original action movie special have slowly been stripped away. John McClane went from being a flawed, but loveable, working stiff cop caught up in an an extraordinary situation, to some kind of invincible super-duper police officer, who we last saw taking care of business in Russia in the godawful "Live Free Or Die Hard." And while domestic audiences took a hard pass on that entry, international audiences showed up in a big way, which is why ideas for "Die Hard 6" have been tossed around.
There have been a couple of rumors floating. One had McClane headed to Japan, another concept reteamed him with Zeus Carver, played by Samuel L. Jackson, from ‘Vengeance.’ Now, there’s another idea on the table that may be the least inspiring of them all.
Survive Hard: All The Times John McClane Should Have Died In The ‘Die Hard’ Series
"Live Free Or Die Hard" director Len Wiseman is working with producer Lorenzo DiBonaventura and Fox on a prequel that is being called "Die Hard: Year One." Sheesh. The idea is that the movie will go all the way back to 1979 and tell the origin story of how McClane "became a die hard kind of guy." Of course, this entirely misses the point that in the first "Die Hard" movie, McClane wasn’t "a die hard kind of guy." He was just a regular dude, which is what made his showdown with Hans Gruber instantly gritty and relatable. Meanwhile, Bruce Willis is being eyed to return, and would be featured in present day sections of the movie. Maybe in a rocking chair, recounting his adventures to the residents of a retirement home?
Screenwriters are being sought for the developing movie, and while there is no word on what the villain or their plan might be, nothing will top Fox’s villainous scheme to drive this character straight into the ground. [Deadline/Variety]