Over the years, Bruce Willis’ cocksure John McClane has been through the wringer; from infiltrating the Nakatomi Plaza to scrambling across New York City in rush hour traffic in order to diffuse a series of explosives. Out of the franchise, though, it was 2013’s A Good Day to Die Hard that seemed to sound the death knell for the bombastic action series – less of a yippee-ki-yay! And more of a what the Hell was that?
Low and behold, Fox isn’t ready to give up the ghost yet, now that Deadline is reporting that the studio is courting Len Wiseman back for a possible Die Hard 6. Alongside producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Fox is reportedly aligning the sequel as an origins story, but one that will still pave the way for Bruce Willis to return as the gun-toting, devil-may-care cop, who has developed quite the habit of being in the wrong place at the right time.
At this stage, it’s understood Wiseman and di Bonaventura have cast the net in search of a screenwriter, with the story primed to take the high-octane action back to 1979, exploring the early career of John McClane before he became the one of the loosest cannons in NYC’s police department.
Though it reads much more like a total reboot than prequel, Deadline notes that Willis has remained attached to the creative process ever since A Good Day to Die Hard two years ago, and is reportedly keen to reprise the role that transformed him into an action icon. Whether Wiseman’s direction will incorporate flashbacks into the mix remains to be seen, but at least for now, based on the 70s setting, Die Hard 6 has our curiosity.
Bruce Willis may return as the quick-witted reluctant hero for Die Hard 6. But given the general apathy felt by many fans following A Good Day to Die Hard, it remains to be seen whether Wiseman and di Bonaventura can turn the franchise’s fortunes around.