AI rendered Nakatomi Plaza from Die Hard
Before getting to the wishbone of contention that stumps legions of fans, non-fans and critics worldwide regarding the movie Die Hard (1988) being a Christmas movie, let’s explore the many Die Hard games through history.
List of all 11 Die Hard games
1990-1992: Die Hard: Commodore 64, PC MS-DOS, TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine (Japan only)
1992: Die Hard 2: Die Harder: Commodore 64, PC MS-DOS, Atari ST, Amiga
1996-1997, 2006: Die Hard: Arcade – Arcade , Sega Saturn, Playstation 2
1996: Die Hard Trilogy – PC, Playstation, Sega Saturn
1998: Dynamite Cop (AKA Dynamite Deka 2 in Japan) – Arcade, Dreamcast (NOTE: despite the name, this is a Die Hard game)
2000: Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas – PC, Playstation
2002: Die Hard – Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza – PC
2002-2003: Die Hard: Vendetta – GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox (Note: there is an unreleased version for the Nintendo 64)
2005: Die Hard – Java Mobile (phone)
2007: Die Hard 4.0 The Mobile Game – Java Mobile
2013: Die Hard – Android, iOS
2013: A Good Day To Die Hard – Java, iOS, Android
How many of these Die Hard games have you played? Let us know in the comments. Pretty much nobody believes any of these games are Christmas games, but the 1988 movie?
Yes, onto the spirited debate. Sense of humor required.
A movie’s setting and theme define whether or not it’s a Christmas movie, yes/no? Die Hard, despite being released in the summer, is set in Christmas. Even the director, John McTieran agrees it’s a Christmas movie:
Die Hard director John McTiernan agrees with fans and critics who categorize Die Hard as a holiday film. “We hadn’t intended it to be a Christmas movie, but the joy that came from it is what turned it into a Christmas movie,” he told the American Film Institute in 2020.
Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas Movie? ‘A Christmas Story’ Star Debates A ‘Die Hard’ Filmmaker (Exclusive) (people.com)
See, if the director admits it, then it’s game over, man. Mic drop.
But what about the writer? Roderick Thorp wrote the novel that inspired Die Hard, the original title being Nothing Lasts Forever. An action thriller novel published in 1979 with the planned film adaptation originally going to Frank Sinatra.
When Sinatra declined, other action stars were offered the lead, including Arnold Schwarzeneggar. Bruce Willis took the part after others had declined and the rest is history.
But is Die Hard a Christmas movie, really? I’m going with yes, very much it is, although the source material — the novel — probably would not be classified as such.
Or would it? As Hans Gruber, played by the late Alan Rickman, would say, “Relax, Theo. It’s Christmas, a time of miracles.”
UPDATE 12/26/2023 @ 2:10pm PST: Die Hard screenwriter Steven de Souza also confirms it is a Christmas movie, compares to the 1954 White Christmas via: Die Hard Writer Reaffirms It’s A Christmas Movie With Detailed Comparison To Another Holiday Classic (screenrant.com)