Yesterday evening, Twentieth Century Fox and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura let the trades announce that they're moving forward with Die Hard 6 and that Len Wiseman would be returning to the franchise to direct.
Wiseman helmed the most lucrative (and only PG-13 rating) Die Hard installment with Live Free Or Die Hard and for the next one, they're planning on going back in time with a prequel. Wiseman's pitch has the film set in 1979 and titled Die Hard Year One. It follows the story of (what we all believed was an ordinary) McClane as an NYPD cop but the script will allow for franchise star Bruce Willis to return somehow as present day, older John McClane.
It all sounds weird as we discussed yesterday and while the Die Hard series is certainly a profitable one given that the franchise's worst installment (2013’s A Good Day to Die Hard) still brought in over $300 million at the worldwide box office, it's difficult to envision another actor playing John McClane, especially long before he survived the hellish situation in the original 1988 Die Hard. Then again, Joseph Gordon-Levitt nailed it in Looper.
The series was going to inevitably continue and after the success of Die Hard 5, screenwriter Ben Trebilcook's began writing Die Hardest which would see McClane head to Tokyo to be commended by the Nakatomi Corporation for saving lives in the original film. It may have even brought back Samuel L. Jackson's Zeus from Die Hard: With a Vengeance. Instead, there's this:
pic.twitter.com/4HTtdoNj33— len wiseman (@LenWiseman) October 15, 2015
When Wiseman tweeted out this photoshopped Die Hard Year One logo last night, the responses were overwhelmingly negative, much like some of the media responses offering editorials (like this one by Hitfix) on why a prequel doesn't fit the lore. Many of the responses were also creative and hilarious though so let's take a look at a few of them:
@LenWiseman I don't have a lot of money, but I'm willing to discuss money if that's what this is about.— Justin Gerber (@justingerber80) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman pic.twitter.com/l35Wny2lOJ— Hjotar Varg (@noirjouvence) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman THIS is Die Hard Year One. Please don't even bother. pic.twitter.com/FH1UpkLuPN— Steve Clark (@spclark14) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman #YearOne #DieHardPrequel #BadIdea #MakingAPoint pic.twitter.com/QCHxryXbTZ— Nick Chandler (@NickSChandler) October 15, 2015
.@LenWiseman pic.twitter.com/0PeGneo9yW— Sailor fée coco (@LaSaleGarce) October 15, 2015
If @LenWiseman really has to make a prequel to a Bruce Willis cop movie, he should make: pic.twitter.com/WuQvkeuQOo— Phil Wrede (@PhilWrede) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman. Tips for making a good Die Hard prequel. Step 1: Don't Step 2: Read Step 1 over and over till you get the hint.— Heppletitus D (@DanHepple) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman pic.twitter.com/AnXxJ72vTJ— Zack W. (@RogueKnite) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman #YearOne #DieHardPrequel #BadIdea #GetItYet pic.twitter.com/HacYn2wDpX— Nick Chandler (@NickSChandler) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman this is bad, I mean like terminator: genisys bad.— Robbie Jordan (@flashtee) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman Reading the positive comments on the #DieHardPrequel announcement like... pic.twitter.com/dCtSca8sLF— Liam Bowers (@LiamBowerrs) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman no, no, no, NO NO NO NO NO NO!— Michael Chips (@MichaelChips) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman pic.twitter.com/cxsKJewidU— #JeSuisCharrette (@MouncKa) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman Noooooooooooo (Darth Vader voice) #DieHard6— Nico (@Pinkfloyd01Roch) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman R. I. P.. McClane— krystouf (@bigkrys) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman pic.twitter.com/xVkZU59A9c— Arcobaleno (@Feeldanyu) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman Don't listen these guys. If you want to make this movie... Hum... No, don't. Just don't. It's a bad idea.— Kévin Lassal (@Kevin_Lassal) October 15, 2015
@LenWiseman pic.twitter.com/8YYo2OrQ9e— David West (@NearWildDurham) October 15, 2015
And rounded up:
@LenWiseman not a single response to this news in the comments has been positive. SO WHY DO IT?— T Dubb (@nofate1991) October 15, 2015
And on the truly bitter side:
@LenWiseman I usually wouldn't do this but yeah... please don't do this. Deep down you know this is a fucking terrible idea.— Chrissy M (@Chrissy_M) October 15, 2015
This all sadly doesn't matter if there's money to be made. What matters is that whatever Wiseman does with this project, it needs to be good (i.e. the opposite of his Total Recall reboot).
Bruce Willis isn't signed on for the film but is involved in the process and can be in it should he choose. Would you rather see him as the star in a present day, proper sequel? Or if they're going with a young, new McClane (who's not John's son Jack, played by Jai Courtney), should they fully reboot instead? Share your thoughts and reactions in the comments!
Die Hard Year One is currently looking for a writer and there's no time frame on production or release yet.
Source: The Internet