Die Hard‘s final line jokingly sets up the perfect idea for a sequel or spinoff set on another winter holiday. Released in 1988, the Bruce Willis-led film has become a classic, becoming one of the most beloved action films of all time. Following the success of the first film, Die Hard then went on to spawn its own film series, easily earning the title of Bruce Willis’ best franchise due to its success.
As well as being an action classic, the first Die Hard film is notable for its unusual setting. The film takes place entirely on Christmas Eve as Willis’ Bruce McClane aims to reunite with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) at her company’s Christmas party. Its Christmas setting has spurred endless debate about whether Die Hard can be classed as a Christmas film, but its final line suggests the filmmakers had plans to make a movie set on another important winter holiday.
Die Hard’s Final Line Jokingly Set Up A Sequel Or Spinoff
One of the best quotes from Die Hard is actually the film’s final line. “If this is their idea of Christmas, I gotta be here for New Year’s” is delivered by limo driver Argyle (De’voreaux White), after he arrives amid the chaos at Nakatomi Plaza to whisk McClane and Holly away. It’s a humorous throwaway comment on the chaos caused by the hostage situation and the ensuing shootout, but it also jokingly sets up a possible holiday-themed Die Hard sequel or spinoff set at New Year’s. Unfortunately, however, while Die Hard did spawn a franchise, a New Year’s adventure never materialized.
Why Die Hard’s Sequels Never Paid Off The New Year’s Tease
While Argyle’s final line potentially hints toward another outing set on New Year’s Eve to follow up Die Hard‘s Christmas Eve setting, nothing ever came of it. The series continued with four more films after the release of Die Hard in 1988, culminating in A Good Day to Die Hard in 2013. Two of the sequel films do take place on holidays – Die Hard 2 is once again set on Christmas Eve and Live Free or Die Hard takes place on Independence Day – but none happen on or around New Year’s. While it could have been a nice nod to Argyle’s final line in Die Hard, there’s no evidence to suggest a New Year’s Eve Die Hard adventure was ever planned.
While it’s been over 30 years since the release of the first film, there’s still much debate over whether Die Hard can be considered a Christmas film. After reusing the Christmas setting in Die Hard 2, the filmmakers might have felt using a holiday so closely linked to Christmas would pigeonhole the franchise or become too much of a gimmick. Most likely, however, is that Argyle’s final line in Die Hard was never meant to be anything more than an amusing throwaway.
