September is shaping up to be a good month for Hulu subscribers, but especially for fans of the Bruce Willis-led Die Hard franchise. The Disney-owned streaming service disappointed viewers when the popular action series was removed from the platform in June to make way for new content. With summer now giving way to fall, all five films are returning to ensure viewers can watch the iconic Christmas action classic and its sequels this holiday season. The entire franchise is just one of many titles being added to the platform on September 1st.

Released in 1988 under the direction of John McTiernanthe original Die Hard Willis was seen in the lead role when he was actually only known for his television presence on ABC’s Undeclared work. Despite lukewarm reviews and preliminary fears, the film was a box office hit, grossing around $140 million, and is now hailed as one of Willis’ best roles ever, a classic of the action genre, and an unlikely Christmas classic given its Christmas Eve setting. The franchise as a whole only continued to flourish after this initial success, This brings total revenue worldwide to 1.4 billion US dollars.

In the first film, Willis’ NYPD detective John McClane is introduced as an unlikely hero, spending Christmas Eve with his wife at a business party in their Japanese employer’s high-rise. When terrorists storm the building and take everyone hostage, however, he is thrust into the role of savior, fighting his way through the building to stop the henchmen of Hans Gruber, memorably portrayed by the late Alan Rickman in a groundbreaking debut role. Jeb Stuart And Steven E. de Souza wrote the successful action film, but the next episodes saw creative upheavals and new names behind the camera, including another experienced action director in Renny Harlin for Die Hard 2In each subsequent film, McClane fought terrorists in new locations, from the airport to the Canadian-American border to Moscow, and became famous for his skills.

“Die Hard” set standards for future action blockbusters

Against the Arnold Schwarzenegger And Sylvester Stallone-led action films of the time, Die Hard turned the formula for an action film on its head. It relied heavily on its claustrophobic setting and average protagonist to create a film that relied not only on bombastic action scenes but also clever staging to show off its hero’s ingenuity. McClane is a more vulnerable character, facing threats he’s never had to deal with before, ratcheting up the tension as he battles his fears and deals with clever villains like Gruber, who is more than just an evil, mustache-twirling bad guy to shoot. The effects of the franchise’s success can still be felt in subsequent films, from Stallone’s Cliffhanger To Harrison Ford‘S Air Force One, Nicholas Cage‘S Con-Airand even later films like the Gerard Butler And Morgan Freeman-led Olympus has fallen.

Stay up to date with holiday traditions and see the entire Die Hard franchise when it returns to Hulu starting September 1. Stay tuned here at Collider for more updates on the latest titles leaving and joining streaming.

Die Hard

New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) visits his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He and her attend a Christmas party at the headquarters of the Japanese company she works for. But the celebrations are interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive high-rise and everyone inside. McClane soon realizes that there is no one who can save the hostages – except him.

Release date

July 20, 1988

Duration

132 minutes

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