What is the order of the Die Hard movies?

Since the tail-end of the 1980s, police detective John McClane has been booking bad guys and tearing up the big screen via the enduring action series, Die Hard. What began as one movie, about a police officer’s one-man battle to defeat supposed terrorists in a tower block, has since spawned a franchise, which includes sequels, comics, computer games and even a Christmas themed storybook.

The Die Hard franchise – led by Hollywood star, Bruce Willis – has been very successful, and it is extremely popular too. The original film is one of the best-loved action movies from the 1980s, while the sequels have brought new audiences to the series.

The first movie in the collection is Die Hard which made its debut in 1988. Upon release the film was well-received by audiences and this led to Die Hard becoming a huge hit at the box-office.

Due to the popularity of the movie, a sequel, titled Die Hard 2: Die Harder, was quickly put into production. Die Hard 2: Die Harder arrived in cinemas in 1990, and was once again a huge box-office hit.

As such, further sequels soon followed, popping up in the mid-1990s, the 2000s, and the 2010s. Not all of them were quite as popular as what came before, but they furthered the story of John McClane and gave Bruce Willis his signature role.

Today I’m going to take a look at the Die Hard movie series, to present a guide to the viewing order of the films. With multiple entries in the collection it can easily become quite confusing as to which movie goes where, so the aim of this post is to help clear things up.

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How many Die Hard movies are there?

As noted above, the first entry in the series was Die Hard. The film – released by 20th Century Fox – was adapted from the book, Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, and was conceived as a standalone action picture. Bruce Willis was cast in the lead role and because Willis was THAT iconic as McClane all of the sequels that followed kept him on board as the driving force behind each new instalment.

Die Hard (1988)

As the initial entry in the series, Die Hard introduces John McClane as a New York police detective who arrives in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve to attend a party at the Nakatomi Plaza. John has been invited to the event by his estranged wife, Holly, who works for the Nakatomi Corporation, and he hopes to spend the evening reconciling with her.

Shortly after arriving at the building, the Plaza is seized by Hans Gruber – a German radical who is posing as a terrorist. Gruber and his team have plans to steal $640 million in bearer bonds from the building’s vault, and they hold the party guests hostage while they get to work.

With John being the only police presence in the building, he slips away from sight and starts taking down the bad guys one-by-one. But can he stop Gruber and Co. before innocent people are hurt, including his own wife?

Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)

Picking up two years after the events of Die Hard, it is Christmas Eve once again and newly promoted Los Angeles lieutenant John McClane is at Dulles International Airport to pick up his wife, Holly. However, at the same airport is a group of ex-military operatives, as well as a corrupt foreign military leader called General Ramon Esperanza.

During the course of the evening, the airport becomes host to a terrorist plot, prompting McClane to once again jump into action. However, it’s not just bad guys that McClane has to contend with, there is also the pressing problem of incoming planes circling the airport unable to land, but rapidly running out of fuel.

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

Due to the financial success of Die Hard 2: Die Harder, 20th Century Fox was keen to continue the Die Hard series with a third instalment. This next entry – which opened in cinemas in 1995 – saw Bruce Willis reprise the role of John McClane, but this time he was teamed up with New York shop owner, Zeus Carver, as played by Samuel L. Jackson.

In the movie, New York is under attack from a mysterious terrorist who simply identifies himself as ‘Simon’. During the course of the film, Simon threatens to set off various bombs around the city, unless McClane and Carver take part in a series of problem-solving challenges he has devised.

A Good Day to Die Hard (2007) (aka Die Hard 4.0)

Although Die Hard with a Vengeance performed well at the box-office, and the audience response was very positive (with many fans claiming it to be the best sequel to Die Hard), twelve years passed before a fourth movie made its debut. When the picture arrived, it carried the title A Good Day to Die Hard in North America, while the rest of the world simply knew it as Die Hard 4.0.

In this instalment, John McClane is tasked with tracking down a cyber-terrorist, who has plans to disable key infrastructure in the US. Joining McClane in the movie is former computer hacker, Matt Farrell, as well as John’s estranged daughter, Lucy, as played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Live Free or Die Hard (2013)

With A Good Day to Die Hard proving to be another box office hit, a fifth film followed in 2013 under the title, Live Free or Die Hard. Although it wasn’t planned as such, this would be Bruce Willis’ final time playing the role of John McClane on film.

In this movie, the action switched to Russia, with John McClane heading overseas to help out his estranged son, Jack – played by Jai Courtney – after he lands himself in trouble. Here the McClanes get caught up in a global terrorist plot, with plenty of gunfire and explosions thrown into the mix.

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Are all of the Die Hard movies part of the same series?

All of the Die Hard movies are part of the same series, with Bruce Willis playing the role of John McClane in each instalment. John is the consistent figure in the series, but the movies do incorporate various members of his family, including wife Holly, and children Lucy and Jack.

Outside of these characters, the series is perhaps best known for its explosive action sequences, including over-the-top stunts. The original Die Hard is also a strong favourite amongst fans, with its simple approach to storytelling being sighted as a key ingredient, as well as its quotable dialogue.

The viewing order of the Die Hard movies

For those new to the Die Hard movie series, the viewing order is fairly simple. The films follow a linear format, with each entry progressing the story in real time.

The Die Hard movie order is as follows:

• Die Hard (1988)
• Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)
• Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
• A Good Day to Die Hard (2007) (aka Die Hard 4.0)
• Live Free or Die Hard (2013)

Work your way through the movies in the above order and you’ll see John McClane dealing with a seemingly never-ending array of villains, while at the same time attempting to reconcile with various members of his family who he has become estranged from.

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Who are the cast of the Die Hard movies and are all of the movies the work of the same director?

As noted above, Bruce Willis is the lead star of the Die Hard movies and is a significant component in their success. Willis is known for movies including The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Twelve Monkeys, and Death Becomes Her, but it is John McClane which is his most iconic part.

Joining Willis on screen is a collection of actors that include Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton, Reginald VelJohnson, William Sadler, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irons, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Maggie Q, and Jai Courtney.

In terms of the Die Hard directors, the series has had multiple directors involved in the franchise’s success.

• John McTiernan directed Die Hard and Die Hard with a Vengeance
• Renny Harlin directed Die Hard 2: Die Harder
• Len Wiseman directed Live Free or Die Hard
• John Moore directed A Good Day to Die Hard

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What is the best Die Hard movie?

The general belief amongst the Die Hard fanbase is that Die Hard and Die Hard with a Vengeance are viewed as the two strongest entries in the series. This is reflected in the ratings on IMDb which are as follows:

• Die Hard (1988) – 8.2/10
• Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990) – 7.1/10
• Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) – 7.6/10
• A Good Day to Die Hard (2007) (aka Die Hard 4.0) – 7.1/10
• Live Free or Die Hard (2013) – 5.2/10

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If you’re a fan of the Die Hard movie series, you may wish to know that all five films are currently available on physical media/home video, including a Blu-ray set of the whole collection.

The Die Hard 5-Movie Blu-ray Collection includes all of the films from Die Hard through to Live Free and Die Hard in one neat little set. The set is available to buy from all good entertainment stockists, including Amazon US and Amazon UK.

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Disclaimer: I earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

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Editor/writer

Alex Wiggan

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the Die Hard movie series. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.