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Live Free or Die Hard

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Live Free or Die Hard
File:Livefreeordiehard american poster.jpg
Live Free or Die Hard official movie poster
Directed byLen Wiseman
Written byMark Bomback (screenplay)
Mark Bomback and David Marconi (story)
Roderick Thorp (characters)
Produced byJohn McTiernan
Arnold Rifkin
Bruce Willis
StarringBruce Willis
Justin Long
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Timothy Olyphant
Maggie Q
Edited byNicolas De Toth
Music byMarco Beltrami
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
United States June 27, 2007
United Kingdom July 6, 2007
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish

Live Free or Die Hard (known as Die Hard 4.0 internationally) is the fourth installment in the Die Hard film series. It's rumored it will be rated PG-13 (as stated by star Bruce Willis), but currently the official website still has it listed as unrated. It stars veteran actor Bruce Willis as John McClane, the hero of the first three films. The film takes place some 18 years after the first film, and sees McClane coming out of retirement to face a gang of Internet terrorists. The film's U.S. release date is June 27, 2007. The release date was pushed up by Fox Studios to prevent direct competition with Transformers.[citation needed]

Plot summary

In the past few years, aging police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) has spent his time in and out of Alcoholics Anonymous and is divorced from his wife. He is no longer employed by the police department, but has found a position with the United States Department of Homeland Security chasing dangerous computer hackers. On his way to turn a young hacker named Matt Foster (Justin Long) into custody, he experiences a modern version of a terrorist attack first hand when he gets stuck in traffic. A group of hackers, headed by Thomas Pope (Timothy Olyphant), have struck at the vulnerable United States computer infrastructure and are systematically shutting it down, beginning with the traffic light system. As they move on to crash banking networks and the stock market, the indices plummet and America's economy becomes crippled. As usual, McClane gets caught up in the middle of the excitement. It turns out that the recently captured Matt seems bright enough to understand exactly what the terrorists are doing and what steps they are taking to achieve their mission. The sophisticated criminals have a nearly foolproof plan to bring the country to a halt, but they didn't count on an old-school cop and his computer-smart buddy to figure things out. Soon, the crime-fighting duo of McClane and Foster are pulling out all the stops and matching wits with the terrorists, hoping to figure out the motives behind their actions and to stop them before the entire nation collapses. The act turns personal when the cyber-terrorists kidnap McClane's daughter, Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).

Cast and crew

Len Wiseman, best known for his work on Underworld and Underworld: Evolution, was announced as the director [1]. In an August 3, 2006 interview in USA Today, Wiseman said none of the characters (McClane excluded) from the earlier movies would be returning [2]. It was previously believed that John McTiernan, the director of the original Die Hard and Die Hard with a Vengeance, would return to direct, however, he is currently facing jail time for perjury.

McClane's daughter will have a prominent role in the film (an idea previously considered for Die Hard with a Vengeance; and the idea implemented in the video game Die Hard: Vendetta). It was speculated that Bruce Willis' real life daughter Rumer, who was born the same year that the original Die Hard was released, was a prime candidate for the part of Lucy McClane. Jessica Simpson, Wafah Dufour and Britney Spears had previously auditioned for the role; Paris Hilton had been considered for the role and Taylor Fry, who had played Lucy in the original Die Hard movie in 1988. Mary Elizabeth Winstead was eventually cast in the role of Lucy McClane in this sequel.

Production

File:Bruce willis justin long.jpg
Bruce Willis as John McClane and Justin Long as Matt Foster

The film's plot is based on an earlier script entitled WW3.com by David Marconi, screenwriter of Enemy of the State.[3] Using a Wired article entitled "A Farewell to Arms"[4] by John Carlin, Marconi crafted a screenplay about a cyber-terrorist attack on the U.S..[5] After the 9-11 attacks, the project was stalled, only to be resurrected several years later and rewritten into Live Free or Die Hard by Doug Richardson and eventually by Mark Bomback.[6]

Willis said in 2005 that the film would be called Die Hard 4.0, as it revolves around computers. Although he said that, IGN later reported the film was to be called Die Hard: Reset instead.[7] 20th Century Fox later announced the title as Live Free or Die Hard and set a release date of June 29, 2007 with filming to begin in September 2006.[8] [9] The title is based on the state motto of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die," which is attributed to a quote from General John Stark. International trailers are using the Die Hard 4.0 title [10], suggesting that the film will be released outside America with that title, most likely because international audiences would be unlikely to recognize the reference.

Filming for Live Free or Die Hard started in downtown Baltimore, Maryland on September 23, 2006.[11] Willis was injured January 24, 2007 during a fight scene, where he was kicked above his right eye. The injury was regarded as "no big deal" and Willis saw a doctor and went home for the rest of the day.[12]

References

  1. ^ "New Die Hard Helmer". Len Wisemen in negotiations to direct. Retrieved March 31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "'Die Hard' series coming back to life". Len Wisemen comments on cast. Retrieved August 03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Fox eyes 'WW3.com' as tentpole for 1999". Retrieved May 9. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "A Farewell to Arms". Wired magazine feature. Retrieved May 9. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Sci-Fi News of the Week". Besson to develop WW3.com. Retrieved May 9. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "The 'Die Hard' is cast for scribe Richardson". Richardson hired to adapt WW3.com for Die Hard 4. Retrieved May 9. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Long Shot for Die Hard: Reset
  8. ^ "Live Free or Die Hard on June 29, 2007!". Retrieved August 3. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Willis Confirms 'Die Hard 4' Nearly Ready To Roll". Die Hard 4.0 in 2007. Retrieved March 31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "The International LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD Trailer Calls It DIE HARD 4.0!?!?". Retrieved February 16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "Filming of movie to close numerous city streets". Numerous downtown Baltimore streets will be closed this weekend and on future days for filming of the movie Live Free or Die Hard, featuring Bruce Willis. Retrieved September 22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Ain't That A Kick In The Head: Bruce Willis Injured". Retrieved January 25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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