221 replies to this topic

[DamnCoffee]

AHAHAHAAHHAAHHHAHAHHAHAA!

Oh my god. That's brilliant!

[marktmurphy]

Joe Cornish being talked about for Die Hard? That's such a bizarre concept I'm enjoying it immensely. Never happen, but it's fun to know it's appeared in print.

I hope they find a good high concept for it, though; a Die Hard film needs to have a snappy concept you can describe in one line.

[Captain Tightpants]

This is how I'd do it:

McClane gets a call from his ex-wife in Japan, offering him a job. Against his better judgement, McClane decides to accept. Holly wants him to provide protection for her boss, the CEO of the Nakatomi Corporation, at an upcoming business forum on green technologies and environmental responsibility. However, the Nakatomi Corporation has changed a lot since 1988. It is now an umbrella company, owning dozens of smaller companies. The CEO is a British trader, having bought Nakatomi-san out of his controlling stake in the company. Early in the job, McClane realises that Holly does not want him to provide protection for the CEO, but to watch him. Holly has been trying to build a case against the CEO, who has been using Nakatomi to buy smaller companies, reduce their expenses and increase their appeal to shareholders through meeting the tight limits of an emissions trading scheme, and then liquefying all their assets and shutting them down. Nakatomi is essentially cannibalising small businesses, and the public is starting to get upset. Holly is trying to find evidence of fraud or embezzlement, and wants McClane to look after the CEO long enough for him to be prosecuted. However, she is too late - a gang of ethnic Korean yakuza (who are treated as second-rate citizens in the organisation) take control of Nakatomi's corporate headquarters in Shibuya. Holly is killed when they first take control of the building, and McClane realises that the CEO has been clever: there is no evidence against him because under the law, he has not done anything wrong (though this does nto get revealed until the start of the third act). The yakuza, however, have over five hundred hostages. They are demanding that the CEO and all evidence against him should be turned over to them in four hours, or else they will execute one hostage every minute until their demands are met. McClane, naturally, is in the middle of all this.

[The Shark]

Can you describe that in one line?

[Captain Tightpants]

Sure:

John McClane travels to Tokyo to protect a businessman, only to find a hostage situation with demands that are impossible to meet and the one person who can end it is dead.

I know the original version I posted is quite long, but you have to understand that it's something that would play out over time. I could do up a full treatment - like I have done for the Bond films - one that paces everything out appropriately.

[DamnCoffee]

Die Hard 5 has been confirmed for release on February 14, 2013.

The latest instalment in the Bruce Willis action franchise will be named A Good Day to Die Hard, and will centre around John McClane and his son getting involved in a prison escape.

Willis will return in the lead role, while Max Payne's John Moore will direct the film from a script drafted by The A-Team's Skip Woods.

20th Century Fox said in a statement: "Since the first Die Hard in 1988, John McClane has found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, with the skills and attitude to always be the last man standing, making him enemy number one for terrorists the world over.

"Now, McClane faces his greatest challenge ever, this time on an international stage, when his estranged son Jack is caught up in the daring prison escape of a rogue Russian leader, and father and son McClane must work together to keep each other alive and keep the world safe for democracy."

Filming is scheduled to begin in Russia in January, 2012.

[Harmsway]

A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD? Blecch.

[The Dove]

Great find, Mharkin!! A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD...hmm, somewhat cheesy but then again so was LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD..Actually I kind of like it! It's certainly a lot better than Die Hard 2: DIE HARDER... I'm actually really looking forward to this..provided 20th Century Fox releases this as an "R" rated Die Hard film properly..

[Captain Tightpants]

So ... the guy who wrote THE A-TEAM and the guy who directed MAX PAYNE are making this? Am I the only one hearing alarm bells?

As for the titles, they're obviously looking for phrases or sayings with 'die' in them and adding 'hard'. Look out for WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE HARD and ONLY THE GOOD DIE HARD and WE LIVE AS WE DIE HARD and WHEN THE DEAD DIE HARD and HE THAT BEGINS TO LIVE BEGINS TO DIE HARD in the future.

[SecretAgentFan]

The Plot seems okay to me, the title... not. Why disguise the fact that this is the fifth entry? Everybody knows that. So, just Die Hard 5 would have been okay with me.

[Mr Teddy Bear]

They should have gone with DIE HARD ANOTHER DAY

[[dark]]

Awesome.

(The back catalogue of the talent behind the camera does worry me a bit, but Les "Underworld" Wiseman delivered the goods last time, so I remain optimistic.)

[Jim]

It sounds thoroughly ghastly.

[Captain Tightpants]

The Plot seems okay to me

Does it?

[Captain Tightpants]

You know, the more I'm seeing this, the less I'm liking it. The writer, Skip Woods, was not only responsible for THE A-TEAM, but he also did SWORDFISH, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, HITMAN and GI JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA. And in addition to MAX PAYNE, the director, John Moore, also did the remakes of THE OMEN and FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX and BEHIND ENEMY LINES. Just how many carriages can they line up on this trainwreck-in-waiting?

[Jeff007]

Wow another Die Hard? Well can't wait for some more news on this in the up coming year.

[SecretAgentFan]

The Plot seems okay to me

Does it?

Yes. Okay in the sense of "it could work". Not in the sense of "I really need to see this awesome idea realized".

Personally, I don´t think that this franchise needs another entry. I enjoyed the fourth one but did not consider it necessary either. But of course, studios these days only think about making money with established brands - so this will not go away, even when Willis is no longer available, they will just reboot it or even remake it.

But I want to be honest - even if I will be let down by part 5 I will want to see it. Just for nostalgic reasons. Not because I have high hopes of it being as good as part one or two. Or even three. Pathetic, yes. But I would even turn up to see another Jaws movie. Or another Rambo. Or... well, lots of stuff which connects me to my moviegoing experiences from my youth.

[Captain Tightpants]

I think the problem with the DIE HARD franchise is that the series has moved away from the elements that made the original so good in the name of making things "bigger and better". DIE HARD was set on three or four floors of a skyscraper. DIE HARDER was set in an airport. DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE was (mostly) in lower Manhattan. And LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD took in two or three states. But A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD is set in a prison. Even if the prison is larger than Nakatomi Plaza, it's still a smaller environment.

The other thing that they need to address is the villain. Hans Gruber was good because everyone thought he was a terrorist when he was a bank robber. But none of the others are really that great; the Colonel in DIE HARDER was okay, but only because he wasn't motivated by money. DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE set Simon Gruber up as Hans' older brother out for revenge, but then revealed that he was just performing a heist. And LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD was setting Thomas Gabriel (a pretentious a 1980s B-movie villain name if there ever was one) up as a rogue government operative who worked for a foreign power because he was outsed from his job, but then revealed that he was just about money, too. I think that what A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD needs is a strong villain, someone with an interesting motive. Since it's set in a Russian prison, the first thing I can think of is a villain who takes control of the prison to show the world that the Russian government doesn't really have any degree of control at a time when they need it the most. Get rid of the financial motivations; it's too basic, and it's boring.

[DamnCoffee]

Kinda hoping Hans Gruber survived the fall, and Alan Rickman returns.

[Tarl_Cabot]

A good day to reference a Kiefer Sutherland(Jack Bauer) filck from the 80s.

awful....still waiting for the Mclane retired on a cruise ship set up.

[SecretAgentFan]

I think the problem with the DIE HARD franchise is that the series has moved away from the elements that made the original so good in the name of making things "bigger and better". DIE HARD was set on three or four floors of a skyscraper. DIE HARDER was set in an airport. DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE was (mostly) in lower Manhattan. And LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD took in two or three states. But A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD is set in a prison. Even if the prison is larger than Nakatomi Plaza, it's still a smaller environment.

The other thing that they need to address is the villain. Hans Gruber was good because everyone thought he was a terrorist when he was a bank robber. But none of the others are really that great; the Colonel in DIE HARDER was okay, but only because he wasn't motivated by money. DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE set Simon Gruber up as Hans' older brother out for revenge, but then revealed that he was just performing a heist. And LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD was setting Thomas Gabriel (a pretentious a 1980s B-movie villain name if there ever was one) up as a rogue government operative who worked for a foreign power because he was outsed from his job, but then revealed that he was just about money, too. I think that what A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD needs is a strong villain, someone with an interesting motive. Since it's set in a Russian prison, the first thing I can think of is a villain who takes control of the prison to show the world that the Russian government doesn't really have any degree of control at a time when they need it the most. Get rid of the financial motivations; it's too basic, and it's boring.

I agree - financial motvations would be been there, done that. Of course, the whole prison break thing is already that...

The thing is for me: DIE HARD is about McClane trapped inside a clear setting. The prison works, of course, especially since it´s a Russian one. But I fear that there will be no original ideas for that setting - and as a PRISON BREAK fan I think they did LOTS of them already.

[Matt_13]

I thought the A Team was a lot of fun (and very funny), but I'm really not a big fan of the Die Hard movies. However, the script should promise to have some fun one liners and rapid fire exchanges.

[Shaun Forever]

Kinda hoping Hans Gruber survived the fall, and Alan Rickman returns.

Well, the long haired blonde guy survived being hung, so you never know!

[Safari Suit]

I thought the A Team was a lot of fun (and very funny), but I'm really not a big fan of the Die Hard movies.

Are you quite mad?

[Captain Tightpants]

I've found a few more details about the basic plot, which actually sounds pretty decent - McClane is in Russia because his son got in a spot of trouble with the local authorities, and now he's trying to sweet-talk the Russians into letting McClane Jnr. out of prison. But it would appear at McClane Jnr.'s arrest is not what it seems, and he is somehow complicit in the plot. McClane goes to the prison to escort his son home, but he is just in time to catch an uprising.

[SecretAgentFan]

The good thing her is: McClane in a place where he doesn´t know his way around and will have problems communicating. The bad thing: another prison riot? Really?

[Captain Tightpants]

When was the last time DIE HARD did a prison riot/break-out/uprising? The original was a heist crew in a skyscraper. The sequel was a band of treasonous soldiers. The third was a mercenary army. And the fourth was a group of disgraced intelligence operatives. With the black hole of talent in the crew, the prison setting is pretty much the only reason why I'm willing to pay attention to this - McClane vs. a band of Russia's worst criminals locked up in an oppressive prison in the freezing cold in a country where McClane does not understand the language. I'd say that of all the sequels, A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD has the most potential to replicate the success of the original (that said, I think VENGEACE is a pretty strong film).

[Mr. Blofeld]

Hmmmmm... not quite convinced, but I hope it turns out well.

[Loomis]

They're seriously calling this A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD? Good grief. All of a sudden, SKYFALL looks like the greatest title ever conceived.

The February release date also seems a very strange move. The plot sounds appalling (thanks, guys, another McClane-and-young-male-sidekick buddy movie, only this time it's his son - no, really, thank you), the choice of director stunningly unexciting, and the prison backdrop a gigantic yawn.

Basically, it seems as though they've gone out their way to create precisely the kind of movie that DIE HARD fans don't want.

[marktmurphy]

I've found a few more details about the basic plot, which actually sounds pretty decent - McClane is in Russia because his son got in a spot of trouble with the local authorities, and now he's trying to sweet-talk the Russians into letting McClane Jnr. out of prison. But it would appear at McClane Jnr.'s arrest is not what it seems, and he is somehow complicit in the plot. McClane goes to the prison to escort his son home, but he is just in time to catch an uprising.

That actually sounds a decent Die Hard set-up to me.

Mind you; going back to the first page of this thread from last year:

Die Hard in Japan? Yeah, I like that idea. Still needs a more specific setting, though: it's hard to beat a skyscraper-then-an-airport.

How about chucking him in a prison? Do the wrongful arrest thing, then stick him in some massive prison, fighting the inmates all the way, riots etc. then inevitably some terrorists/thieves turn up for some reason. Oh I dunno.

They're seriously calling this A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD? Good grief. All of a sudden, SKYFALL looks like the greatest title ever conceived.

The February release date also seems a very strange move. The plot sounds appalling (thanks, guys, another McClane-and-young-male-sidekick buddy movie, only this time it's his son - no, really, thank you), the choice of director stunningly unexciting, and the prison backdrop a gigantic yawn.

Basically, it seems as though they've gone out their way to create precisely the kind of movie that DIE HARD fans don't want.

To be honest Loomo, judging by your responses to everything, I'm not sure you want any films.