Editing Die Hard (section)

==Production==
===Development and writing===
[[File:John McTiernan at the Cinémathèque Française (Cropped).jpeg|thumb|upright|left|alt= Director John McTiernan dressed in a blue shirt and glasses facing the camera|Director [[John McTiernan]] in 2014]]
The development of ''Die Hard'' began in 1987, when screenwriter [[Jeb Stuart (writer)|Jeb Stuart]] was in dire financial straits. His script purchased by [[Columbia Pictures]] had been abandoned and a contract at [[Walt Disney Pictures]] was not providing him with sufficient income. Stuart had six weeks between contracted work so his agent [[Jeremy Zimmer]] contacted [[Lloyd Levin]], the head of development at the Gordon Company, a producing arm of [[20th Century Fox]].<ref name="VarietyBook"/>

Levin asked Stuart to work on an adaptation of the 1979 novel ''[[Nothing Lasts Forever (Thorp novel)|Nothing Lasts Forever]]'' written by former private investigator [[Roderick Thorp]].<ref name="VarietyBook"/><ref name=Independent1/> Thorp had been inspired to write ''Nothing Lasts Forever'' by a dream he had—in which armed assailants chase a man through a building—after watching the 1974 disaster film ''[[The Towering Inferno]]''.<ref name="VarietyBook"/><ref name="VanityFairat30"/><ref name="NYTimesThorp"/> Fox had adapted the book's 1966 predecessor, ''[[The Detective (novel)|The Detective]]'', for the [[The Detective (1968 film)|1968 film]] starring [[Frank Sinatra]] as NYPD detective Joe Leland, and purchased the sequel rights before ''Nothing Lasts Forever'' had been written.<ref name="VarietyBook"/><ref name="VanityFairat30"/>

Levin gave Stuart creative freedom as long as he retained the [[Christmas]]-in-[[Los Angeles|Los-Angeles]] setting; the concept, he considered, would provide an interesting aesthetic.<ref name="VarietyBook"/> The film was [[Pitch (filmmaking)|pitched]] as "[[John Rambo|Rambo]] in an office building", referring to the successful ''[[Rambo (franchise)|Rambo]]'' film series.<ref name="EbertSeitz"/> Producers [[Lawrence Gordon (producer)|Lawrence Gordon]] and [[Joel Silver]] hired director [[John McTiernan]] because of his work with them on the successful 1987 action film ''[[Predator (1987 film)|Predator]]''.<ref name="NYTimesSalaryAftermath"/><ref name="VultureRetro"/><ref name="EmpireRetro"/> McTiernan agreed to direct on the condition that the film would have "some joy" and not simply contain "mean, nasty acts", seen in other terrorist films.<ref name="VanityFairat30"/>

Stuart began working 18-hour days at his office at [[Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)|Walt Disney Studios]] in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], which left him exhausted and "on edge".<ref name="VarietyBook"/> After an argument with his wife, he went for a drive and saw a box in his lane; unable to avoid it, he was forced to drive over it and discovered it to be empty. According to Stuart, he pulled over on the side of the freeway, his "heart pounding". From this, Stuart conceived a central theme of the story of a man who should have apologized to his wife before a catastrophe. He returned home to reconcile with his wife and wrote 35 pages that night.<ref name="VarietyBook"/> To shape the McClanes' relationship, Stuart also drew upon the marital problems of his peers, including divorces and ex-wives reverting to use their maiden name.<ref name="VarietyBook"/>

[[File:Disney studios burbank team disney building buena vista.jpg|thumb|alt=Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.|[[Jeb Stuart (writer)|Jeb Stuart]] wrote his initial draft in his office at the [[Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)|Walt Disney Studios]] in [[Burbank, California]].]]
John McClane was named John Ford initially, but 20th Century Fox felt this was disrespectful to the deceased director [[John Ford|of the same name]]. Stuart chose McClane as a "good strong Scottish name", based on his own Celtic heritage. He described the character as a flawed hero who learns a lesson in the worst possible situation and becomes a better, but not a different, person.<ref name="VarietyBook"/> Having no experience writing action films, Stuart drew on his experience writing thrillers, focusing on making the audience care about McClane, Holly, and their reconciliation.<ref name="VarietyBook"/> As Stuart pitched his story to executives, Gordon interrupted him, told him to complete a draft, and left the meeting. Stuart finished his first draft just under six weeks later.<ref name="VarietyBook"/>

Stuart credits Levin for helping him understand ''Nothing Lasts Forever''.<ref name="VarietyBook"/> He adapted many sequences faithfully, including a C-4 charge being thrown down an elevator shaft and the book's central character, Joe Leland, leaping from the roof. However, the novel is told entirely from Leland's perspective, and events he is not present for are not detailed.<ref name="VarietyBook"/><ref name="CreativeScreenwriting"/><ref name="AVNovel"/> Its tone is also more cynical and [[Nihilism|nihilistic]]: Leland visits his drug-addicted daughter at the Klaxon building, and she dies having fallen from the building alongside villain Anton Gruber, who is using naïve male and female guerrilla soldiers to rob the building because of Klaxon's support for a dictatorial government. This made their motivations less clear and Leland more conflicted about killing them, especially the women. Leland is written as an experienced older man working as a high-powered security consultant.<ref name="VarietyBook"/><ref name="EmpireRetro"/><ref name="AVNovel"/> Stuart rejected the novel's tone for being "too sad", and believed an older action hero—Leland being over 60—was nonsensical. Stuart created new material for scenes when McClane is not present, expanding upon or introducing characters: he gave Powell a wife and children, allowing him to relate more closely to McClane; and Argyle, whose novel counterpart disappears early in the story, is present throughout Stuart's draft, supporting McClane by broadcasting rap music over the terrorists' radios. Among the script's original characters is the unscrupulous journalist Richard Thornburg.<ref name="VarietyBook"/>

A fan of prominent Western film actor [[John Wayne]], Stuart was inspired to carry a Western motif throughout the script, including cowboy lingo. He befriended a construction superintendent at the under-construction [[Fox Plaza (Los Angeles)|Fox Plaza]] in Los Angeles, allowing him access to the building to gain ideas on how to lay out the characters and scenes. He delivered the finished screenplay in June 1987. It was [[Green-light|greenlit]] the following day, in part because 20th Century Fox needed a [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|summer blockbuster]] for 1988.<ref name="VarietyBook"/>

===Casting===
[[File:Bonnie Bedelia 1974.JPG|upright|left|thumb|alt=Portrait of Bonnie Bedelia looking directly at the camera |Willis chose [[Bonnie Bedelia]] (pictured in 1974) to portray Holly Gennero-McClane after he saw her performance in ''[[Heart Like a Wheel (film)|Heart Like a Wheel]]'' (1983).]]
As ''Die Hard'' was based on the novel sequel to the film adaptation of ''The Detective'', the studio was contractually obliged to offer Frank Sinatra the role. Sinatra, who was 70 at the time, declined.<ref name=Independent1/><ref name="VanityFairat30"/> The role was offered to various major stars including [[Sylvester Stallone]], [[Richard Gere]], [[Clint Eastwood]], [[Harrison Ford]],<ref name="VultureRetro" /><ref name="DevOtherActors" /> [[Burt Reynolds]],<ref name="CastReynolds" /> [[Nick Nolte]], [[Mel Gibson]], [[Don Johnson]], [[Richard Dean Anderson]],<ref name="Independent1" /> [[Paul Newman]],<ref name="CastNewman" /> [[James Caan]],<ref name="DailyBeastCaan" /> and [[Al Pacino]].<ref name="AlPacino"/> The prevailing action archetype of the era was a muscle-bound, invincible macho man like [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], who was offered the role, but he wanted to branch out into comedy and turned it down to star in ''[[Twins (1988 film)|Twins]]'' (1988).<ref name=Independent1/> Willis was known mainly for his comedic role in the romantic comedy television series ''[[Moonlighting (TV series)|Moonlighting]]'', starring opposite [[Cybill Shepherd]]. He declined the role because of his contractual obligations to ''Moonlighting'', but when Shepherd became pregnant, the show's production was stopped for eleven weeks, giving Willis enough time to take the role.<ref name=Independent1/>

McTiernan's girlfriend had a chance meeting with a representative of [[CinemaScore]] and asked them for analysis of Willis as the star. Their analysis showed that casting Willis would not have a negative impact; his participation was confirmed two weeks later.<ref name="lawrence20160830"/> The choice was controversial as Willis had only starred in one other film, the moderately successful comedy ''[[Blind Date (1987 film)|Blind Date]]'' (1987).<ref name=Independent1/><ref name="LATimesJuly03"/> At the time, there was also a clear distinction between film and television actors. Though films like ''[[Ghostbusters]]'' (1984) had demonstrated that television stars could lead a blockbuster film, other television actors like [[Shelley Long]] and [[Bill Cosby]] had failed in their recent attempts to make the transition.<ref name="VultureRetro"/><ref name="VultureJul16"/>

Willis received $5{{nbsp}}million for the role, giving him a salary comparable to more successful, established film actors like [[Dustin Hoffman]], [[Warren Beatty]], and [[Robert Redford]].<ref name="NYTimesSalaryAftermath" /> 20th Century Fox president [[Leonard Goldberg]] justified the figure by saying ''Die Hard'' needed an actor of Willis's potential,<ref name="NYTimesSalaryAftermath"/> and Gordon said that Willis's [[everyman]] persona was essential to conveying the idea that the hero could actually fail.<ref name="NYTimesPostRelease"/> Other Fox sources were reported as saying the studio was desperate for a star after being turned down by so many popular actors.<ref name="DevWillisSalary"/> Willis said, "They paid me what they thought I was worth for the film, and for them."<ref name="CloserWillis"/> He described the character as unlike the larger-than-life characters portrayed by Stallone or Schwarzenegger, saying "even though he's a hero, he is just a regular guy. He's an ordinary guy who's been thrown into extraordinary circumstances".<ref name="LATimesJuly03"/> Willis drew upon his working-class upbringing in [[South Jersey]] for the character, including "that attitude and disrespect for authority, that [[Black comedy|gallows sense of humor]], the reluctant hero".<ref name=Independent1/>

Rickman was already in his early 40s as he made his screen debut as Hans Gruber. He was cast by Silver, who had seen him perform in a Broadway version of ''[[Les Liaisons Dangereuses (play)|Les Liaisons Dangereuses]]'', playing the villainous Vicomte de Valmont.<ref name=Independent1/><ref name="LegacyEmpire"/> Bedelia was cast at Willis's suggestion after he saw her in the 1983 biographical film ''[[Heart Like a Wheel (film)|Heart Like a Wheel]]''.<ref name="StartTVBedelia"/> VelJohnson appeared as Al Powell in his first major film role at the suggestion of casting director Jackie Burch, with whom he had worked previously. [[Robert Duvall]], [[Gene Hackman]], [[Laurence Fishburne]], and [[Wesley Snipes]] were considered for the role.<ref name="SlashFilmVelJohnson"/><ref name="MaximVelJohnson"/><ref name="SlashSnipes"/> Ellis is portrayed by Hart Bochner, an acquaintance of Silver. His role was shot in chronological order over three weeks. McTiernan had wanted the character to be suave like actor [[Cary Grant]], but Bochner conceived of the character's motivations coming from cocaine use and insecurity. McTiernan hated the performance initially until he noticed Gordon and Silver were entertained by Bochner's antics.<ref name="CastBochner"/>

===Re-write===
[[File:Roy Rogers in The Carson City Kid.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Roy Rogers dressed in cowboy gear. | [[John McClane]]'s catchphrase "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker" was inspired by western actor [[Roy Rogers]]'s (pictured) own "Yippee-ki-yay, kids".]]
Screenwriter [[Steven E. de Souza]] rewrote Stuart's script because he had experience in blending action and comedy.<ref name="SlashFilmSouza"/> He approached the story as if Gruber were the protagonist. He said, "If [Gruber] had not planned the robbery and put it together, [McClane] would have just gone to the party and reconciled or not with his wife. You should sometimes think about looking at your movie through the point of view of the villain who is really driving the narrative."<ref name="CreativeScreenwriting"/> De Souza used blueprints of Fox Plaza to help him lay out the story and character locations within the building.<ref name="SlashFilmSouza"/>

The script continued to undergo changes up to and during filming. Several subplots and traits for characters other than McClane were created during the first few weeks of filming because Willis was still working on ''Moonlighting''. He would film the show for up to ten hours and then work on ''Die Hard'' at night. McTiernan gave Willis time off to rest and tasked De Souza with adding the new scenes. These included scenes with Holly's housekeeper, Holly confronting Gruber following Takagi's death, an introductory scene for Thornburg, and more moments between Powell and his fellow officers.<ref name="SlashFilmSouza"/>

Silver wanted a scene between McClane and Gruber before the film's denouement, but De Souza could not think of a plausible scenario until he happened to overhear Rickman affecting an American accent. He realized this would allow Gruber to disguise himself when he met McClane, and the earlier scene of Takagi's murder was reworked to conceal Gruber's identity from McClane. Due to the addition of the Gruber/McClane meeting scene, a different one in which McClane kills Theo was excised.<ref name="SlashFilmSouza"/>

In Stuart's original script, ''Die Hard'' took place over three days, but McTiernan was inspired to have it take place over a single night like Shakespeare's ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''. He did not want to use terrorists as the villains, as he considered them to be "too mean", and avoided focusing on the terrorists' politics in favor of making them thieves driven by monetary pursuits; he felt this would make it more suitable summer entertainment.<ref name="DevMisc"/>

McClane's character was not fully realized until almost halfway through production. McTiernan and Willis had determined that McClane is a man who does not like himself much but is doing the best he can in a bad situation.<ref name="DevMisc"/> McClane's catchphrase, "Yipee-ki-yay, motherfucker", was inspired by old cowboy lingo, including cowboy actor [[Roy Rogers]]'s own "Yippee-ki-yah, kids", to emphasize his all-American character.<ref name=Independent1/><ref name="CreativeScreenwriting"/> There was a debate over whether to use "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker" or "yippee-ti-yay, motherfucker"; Willis endorsed the former.<ref name=Independent1/>

===Filming===
[[File:Foxplaza la.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=A high-rise building known as Fox Plaza | [[Fox Plaza (Los Angeles)|Fox Plaza]] in [[Century City]], Los Angeles, served as the setting for Nakatomi Plaza.]]
[[Principal photography]] began in November 1987, and concluded by early March 1988, with an approximate $25–$35{{nbsp}}million budget.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name=Independent1/><ref name="LATimesJuly03"/><ref name="BOMGeneral"/><ref name="NYTimesPreview"/><ref name="LATimesFilming"/><ref name="afi"/>}}{{efn|The 1988 budget of $25–$35{{nbsp}}million is equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|25000000|1988}}}}–${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|35000000|1988}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}.}} Filming took place almost entirely in and around Fox Plaza in [[Century City]], situated on the [[Avenue of the Stars, Century City|Avenue of the Stars]].<ref name="EmpireRetro"/><ref name="SlashDeBont"/><ref name="Gizmodo"/> The location was chosen late in production by [[production designer]] Jackson De Govia.<ref name="DevMisc"/> A mostly unoccupied building was needed, which the under-construction Fox Plaza offered;<ref name="SlashDeBont"/> it was secured with two main conditions: no filming during the day and no damage from explosions.<ref name="EmpireRetro"/>

Cinematographer [[Jan de Bont]] said the building's design was distinct, making it a character on its own, and clear views of the building were available from a distance, enabling establishing shots as McClane approaches it. The surrounding city could be seen from within the building, enhancing the realism.<ref name="SlashDeBont"/> De Bont frequently used handheld cameras to film closer to the characters, creating a more cinematic "intimacy". Very little of the film was [[storyboard]]ed beforehand because De Bont believed intricate storyboarding made his job redundant. Instead, he and McTiernan would discuss that day's filming in detail, and the feeling or sensation they wanted to convey. De Bont was more concerned with creating a dramatic rather than an attractive shot. He cited the use of real flares in the film that generated unpredictable smoke and sometimes obscured the image.<ref name="SlashDeBont"/>

Willis's first day on set was on November{{nbsp}}2, 1987. He came straight from filming ''Moonlighting'' to shoot one of his most pivotal scenes, where McClane leaps from a rooftop as it explodes behind him, saved only by a length of firehose.<ref name=Independent1/> Willis found acting in ''Die Hard'' difficult because it differed from previous experiences in that he was often alone, not having any personal encounters with others.<ref name="CloserWillis"/> He did not spend much time with the rest of the cast between takes, opting to spend it with his new partner, [[Demi Moore]]. In contrast to their on-screen dynamics, Bedelia and VelJohnson spent most of their time between scenes with Rickman.<ref name="PeopleBedelia"/><ref name="VultureTidbits"/> When asked to throw Holly to the floor, Rickman refused because he believed it was not a fitting action for the "civilized" Gruber and that Holly, "a self-possessed career woman", would not have let him.<ref name="BBCRickmanObit"/>

The film's ending had not been finalized when filming began. In the finished film, Theo retrieves an ambulance from the truck the terrorists arrived in to use as an escape vehicle, but as this was a late addition, the truck the terrorists had been filmed arriving in was too small to hold an ambulance. Another scene, showing the terrorists synchronizing their [[TAG Heuer]] watches, also showed the truck was empty; this scene had to be deleted, leading to other necessary changes. As scripted, McClane realizes that the American hostage he encounters is Gruber because of the distinctive TAG Heuer watch he observed on the other terrorists; the watches were no longer an established plot point.<ref name="DevMisc"/><ref name="NMERetro"/> It necessitated the introduction of a heroic scene for Argyle, who gets to stop Theo's escape. De'voreaux actually punched Gilyard during the scene, which was added in only in the last 10 days of filming.<ref name="SlashFilmSouza"/><ref name="VultureTidbits"/>

There was flexibility with some roles, depending on the actors' performances, meaning some characters were kept in the film longer and others killed off sooner.<ref name="SlashFilmSouza"/> The actors were also given some room to improvise, like Theo's line, "The quarterback is toast", Bochner's "Hans, bubby, I'm your white knight", and the henchman Uli stealing a chocolate bar during the SWAT assault.<ref name="CastBochner"/><ref name="VultureTidbits"/> McTiernan took stylistic influence from [[French New Wave]] cinema when editing the film. He recruited [[Frank J. Urioste]] and [[John F. Link]] to edit scenes together while in mid-motion, contrary to the mainstream style of editing used at the time.{{sfn|Lichtenfield|2017}}
{{Clear}}

===Music===
{{Main|Die Hard (soundtrack)}}

{{Listen|filename=Die Hard 1988 - Assault on the Tower.ogg|title=''Michael Kamen&nbsp;– Assault on the Tower''|description=Kamen used samples from various classic songs and sleigh bells to create a score that highlighted the violence|format=[[Ogg]]}}
Before hiring composer [[Michael Kamen]], McTiernan knew he wanted to include [[Beethoven]]'s [[Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)|9th Symphony]] (commonly known as "Ode to Joy"), having heard it in [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' (1971).{{sfn|Stilwell|1997|pp=568–569}} Kamen objected to "tarnishing" the piece in an action film and offered to misuse German composer [[Richard Wagner]]'s music instead.{{sfn|Stilwell|1997|pp=568–569}}{{sfn|Shivers|1995|p=13}} Once McTiernan explained how the 9th Symphony had been used in ''A Clockwork Orange'' to highlight the ultra-violence, Kamen had a better understanding of McTiernan's intentions.{{sfn|Stilwell|1997|pp=568–569}} In exchange, Kamen insisted that they also license the use of "[[Singin' in the Rain (song)|Singin' in the Rain]]" (1952) (also used in ''A Clockwork Orange'') and "[[Winter Wonderland]]" (1934).{{sfn|Shivers|1995|p=13}} He mixed the melodies of "Ode to Joy", "Winter Wonderland", and "Singin' in the Rain" into his score, mainly to underscore the villains.{{sfn|Lichtenfield|2017}}{{sfn|Stilwell|1997|p=561}}{{sfn|Shivers|1995|p=13}} The samples of "Ode to Joy" are played in slightly lower keys to sound more menacing; the references build to a performance of the symphony when Gruber finally accesses the Nakatomi vault.{{sfn|Shivers|1995|p=13}}{{sfn|Durnford|1995|p=16}} The score also references "[[Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!]]".<ref name="FilmTracks"/><ref name="AllMusicreview"/>{{sfn|Stilwell|1997|p=561}}

Kamen initially saw a mostly incomplete version of ''Die Hard'' and was unimpressed.{{sfn|Shivers|1995|p=13}} He saw the film as primarily about a "phenomenal bad guy" who made McClane seem less important.{{sfn|Shivers|1995|p=13}} Kamen was dismissive of film scores, believing they could not stand alone from the film.<ref name="IndependentKamen"/> His original score incorporates pizzicato and [[Violin technique|arco strings]], brass, woodwinds and sleigh bells added during moments of menace to counter their festive meaning.<ref name="AllMusicreview"/>{{sfn|Durnford|1995|p=16}} There are other uses of classical [[diegetic music]] in the film; the musicians at the party play [[Brandenburg Concertos#Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048|Brandenburg Concerto No.{{nbsp}}3]] by [[Johann Sebastian Bach]].{{sfn|Durnford|1995|p=16}}

McTiernan did not like a piece created for the final scene in which Karl attempts to kill McClane, and decided to use a [[Temp track|temporary track]] that was already in place: a piece of [[James Horner]]'s unused score for ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'' (1986). Cues are also used from the 1987 action film ''[[Man on Fire (1987 film)|Man on Fire]]''.<ref name="DevMisc"/><ref name="FilmTracks"/> ''Die Hard'' also features "[[Christmas in Hollis]]" by [[Run-DMC]], which would go on to be considered a Christmas classic, in part because of its use in the film.<ref name="BillboardHollis"/>