Ballerinadirector Len Wiseman recently entered theJohn Wickuniverse, but he has not forgotten his canceled plans forDie Hard 6. Originally serving as the director on Bruce Willis’ fourth outing as John McClane, 2007’sLive Free or Die Hard, Wiseman was selected in 2015 to return to the long-running franchise to helm asixthDie Hardmovie, dubbedMcClane. However, when Disney acquired the rights to the franchise as part of their 2019 merger with 20th Century Fox, the project was placed on indefinite hiatus. Willis would later retire from acting in 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia.
Speaking withIndieWirefollowingBallerina’srecent theatrical release, Wiseman reflected on what might have been the finalDie Hardmovie. Suggesting the film had a “cool script,”the director once hadso much confidence thatMcClanewould be pushing ahead that he would forego other opportunities, as he believed filming was close to commencing. Check out his comments below:
For four years I was working on what was supposed to be the last John McClane movie. It was such a cool script and such a cool idea. Other movies would pop up, and I’d be like, ‘No, this is going. We’re close.’ There were four years where I thought that movie was happening and then it didn’t.
What Len Wiseman’s Comments Mean For Die Hard’s Action Legacy
Wiseman’s Movie Could Have Offered A Much-Needed Course Correction
Serving as the role that wouldtransform Willis from a romantic television lead to a bona fide big-screen action hero, theoriginalDie Hardmovieremains one of the most influential films in the action genre. While Willis would later go on to star in many other memorable roles, it is his tenure as the cynical New York City police detective John McClane that most fans would consider his most recognizable and oft-quoted character.
Unfortunately, however, many of theDie Hardfranchise’s later installmentswould fall well short of the critical acclaim and popular appeal of Willis’ inaugural 1988 outing. With 2013’sA Good Day To Die Hardpanned by critics and widely considered the franchise’s weakest entry,Wiseman was provided with a rare opportunity to give the series a much-needed course correction, one that could have potentially ended the franchise on a high note. Much as Wiseman notes about the movie’s script, the film’s intended premise may have also provided a way to harken back to the appeal of the first film.
Our Take On McClane’s Cancelation
The Movie’s Sequel/Prequel Premise Offered Something New
Originally compared toThe Godfather Part IIby producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, the initial idea behind McClane would have also introduced a younger version of the character during his rookie years in the 1970s. With the movie intended to switch between both past and present storylines,McClanehad the potential to reintroduce a much more grounded version of the character, as opposed to the nearly invulnerable action hero that later films would attempt to transform him into.
While plans for aDie Hardprequel may eventually be resurrected in the future, any such project would now need to move forward without Willis’ involvement, potentially undermining any chances of success before it even begins.
Sadly, however, the plans forDie Hard 6never eventuated, and the franchise now has no choice but to end on what is undoubtedly its most disappointing entry. While plans for aDie Hardprequelmay eventually be resurrected in the future, any such project would now need to move forward without Willis’ involvement, potentially undermining any chances of success before it even begins.
Source:IndieWire
Die Hard
The Die Hard franchise, which began as a series of books in the 1960s, is an action-adventure series that chronicles the harrowing exploits of NYPD Detective John McClane. Renowned for its action-packed sequences and intricate plots, the series showcases McClane’s battles against various adversaries, especially the infamous Hans Gruber, during high-stakes crises.
