Die Hard - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of Die Hard or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Die Hard

[jessie]

When Powell circles the Nakatomi parking lot, McClane looks on, saying "Who's driving this car, Stevie Wonder?" As Argyle waits in the limo parked in the garage, "Skeletons" by Stevie Wonder plays on the stereo.

[nicholas]

Three actors in this film were in James Bond films starring Timothy Dalton. While Robert Davi and Grand L. Bush were in License to Kill (1989), Andreas Wieniewski was in The Living Daylights (1987).

[harry]

Sam Neill turned down the role of Hans Gruber.

[scarlett]

In the German version the names and backgrounds of the German-born terrorists were changed into English forms (mostly into their British equivalents): Hans Gruber became Jack Gruber, Karl became Charlie, Heinrich turned into Henry etc... the new background depicted them as radical Irish activists having gone freelance and for profit rather than ideals. (This led to some odd plot holes in this movie and continuity problems with Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) where Gruber is remembered as having been German.) This was because German terrorism, especially by the Rote Armee Fraktion (the Red Army Faction), was still considered a sensitive issue by the German government in the 1980s.

[jamie]

The movie title in Portugal is "Assalto ao Arranha-Céus" which translates into "Skyscraper Heist"

[chris]

"See if there's a black and white that can do a drive-by," a line delivered by the female dispatcher, is sampled in "Who Got the Camera?" on Ice Cube's album "The Predator."

[eli]

Hart Bochner's line "Hans... Bubby!" was ad-libbed. Alan Rickman's quizzical reaction was genuine.

[lonnie]

The Roderick Thorp book "Nothing Lasts Forever," which serves as the basis for this movie, was a sequel to the book and film The Detective (1968), with Frank Sinatra as Joe Leland. Surprisingly, few of the book's details are changed. Originally, a much older Leland (changed to McClane) was visiting his daughter, Steffie Leland Gennaro, who worked for the Klaxxon oil company. Takagi was originally a VP of sales named Rivers. Harry Ellis, Al Powell, and Dwayne Robinson were essentially the same, but the FBI was not involved. Hans Gruber was originally Anton "Little Tony" Gruber, while Hans was the name of Karl's brother. The purpose of the terrorist takeover was to allow the West German radical group to uncover an illegal arms shipment Klaxxon was making to a Chilean dictatorship. Finally, in the end scene (which was Christmas morning at 10 AM), Anton Gruber is shot by Leland and falls out the window, also catching a finger on Gennaro's watch, but in this case he pulls her out the window to her death.

[darrell]

At 131 minutes this is the longest Die Hard movie.

[michele]

The main differences between the book and the movie are that in the book, he is visiting his daughter and not his wife, and in the book it is an actual terrorist attack rather than an elaborately staged robbery. The love interest in the book is the flight attendant from the flight into LA, and his daughter dies at the end of the movie. Additionally, Joe Leland (the character who became John McLane) is permanently crippled by the time the book is over.

[ivan]

When Ellis meets with Gruber, Karl can be seen pouring Ellis a glass of Coca-Cola. This is most likely because Ellis, who had been snorting cocaine throughout the film, asked them if they had any coke which they mistook as him mentioning soda.

[aaron]

Michael Madsen was considered for the role of John McClane.

[bessie]

In 1966 author Roderick Thorp's novel The Detective was released and turned into the 1968 movie with Frank Sinatra as Det. Sgt. Joe Leland. Joe Leland would be revised from the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever in the movie Die Hard by Bruce Willis.

[jesus]

Despite being the first movie in a franchise that made Bruce Willis a megastar, the original Die Hard is actually a sequel. The original film was based on the novel of the same name, The Detective. Detective Joe Leland, played by Frank Sinatra, was one of the first movies of the late sixties and early seventies that featured a more realistic approach to police work. Leland is called to investigate a murder who has been beaten to death and mutilated. Because of his contract from this film, Sinatra was actually offered the chance to star in Die Hard. Thankfully, at 73 years old, he knew well enough to decline.

[victoria]

As the movie continues the elevator chime starts benign and continues as situations start getting worse letting the audience know how out of control the things are getting. It culminates in the final chime of the elevator blowing up indicating that everything is now out of control.

[charlie]

Rickman had been an accomplished TV and theater star but had never been a part of a film before. He nearly said no to the role. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Rickman had said, "I'm not doing an action movie." Agents convinced Rickman, who hadn't been in Hollywood for even a week and the rest is history.

[scarlett]

After John has put the chain around Karl's neck and sent him crashing into the wall he sits down with his back against a pillar. Over his left shoulder you can see the actor that plays Karl watching.

[lynn]

Bruce Willis' exhaustion from his schedule (he was also shooting Moonlighting (1985)) forced Steven E. de Souza to beef up the roles of the other characters, giving characters like Al Powell, Ellis, Argyle, and Richard Thornburg more personality and screen time.

[ray]

Bruce Willis's favorite role has always been John McClane.