Die Hard 2
Die harder.
Country
Production
Budget
$70 000 000
Revenue
$240 031 094
Director
Actors
Scenario
Producer
Joel Silver, Lawrence Gordon, Charles Gordon, Lloyd Levin, Michael Levy
Operator
Composer
Artist
John Vallone, Bruce Crone, Gayle Simon
Audition
Jackie Burch
Short description
One year after his heroics in Los Angeles, John McClane is an off-duty cop who is the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. On a snowy Christmas Eve, as he waits for his wife's plane to land at Washington Dulles International Airport, terrorists take over the air traffic control system in a plot to free a South American army general and drug smuggler being flown into the US to face drug charges. It's now up to McClane to take on the terrorists, while coping with an inept airport police chief, an uncooperative anti-terrorist squad, and the life of his wife and everyone else trapped in planes circling overhead.
What's left behind the scenes
- In the aerial chase scene, the airliner and helicopter were real, only the snow was made of soap flakes.
- John McTiernan wanted to direct the film, but was unable to because he was contractually obligated to direct "The Hunt for Red October" (1990).
- The film is based on Walter Wageer's novel "58 Minutes".
- Valverde is a fictional Latin American country. The same country name was used in the film "Commando" (1985).
- John McTiernan wanted to direct the film, but was unable to do so because he was contractually obligated to direct 'The Hunt for Red October' (1990).
- In the original version of the script for "Die Hard" (1988), John McClane only joked a few times throughout the movie. Most of the jokes John delivers were Bruce Willis's improvisations. During the filming of the sequel, Bruce Willis was free to improvise as much as he felt necessary.
- Renny Harlin was simultaneously editing this film and “Ford Fairlane” (1990) because both films had an extremely short post-production period. The films were released in theaters one month apart.
- The plane that McClane's wife is flying on is an L-1011 TriStar, while the crashed Flight 114 was operated on a Douglas DC-8.
- In the movie 'Die Hard' (1988), Sergeant Powell hums the song 'Let It Snow'. The same song plays at the end of this film.
- Renny Harlin suggested that William Sadler be nude in the scene where he first appears in the film. According to Harlin, it was an effective, but unusual way to introduce the main villain to the audience.
- Upon the completion of its theatrical run, "Die Hard 2" became the highest-grossing sequel of all time. This record was broken a year later by "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991).
- The equipment used by the mercenaries for landing planes in the church is largely similar to real equipment used in air traffic control centers. However, it was simplified for the film's more dramatic and dynamic scenes.
- The film was the first in history to use computer-generated backgrounds instead of traditional painting on canvas. This technology will be fully developed in the third film.
- In the original script for "Die Hard" (1988), John McClane only made a few jokes throughout the film. Most of the jokes John delivers were improvised by Bruce Willis. During the filming of the sequel, Bruce Willis was allowed to improvise as much as he deemed necessary.
- During filming in Denver, there was practically no snow, so the filmmakers had to use artificial snow to create the blizzard scenes.
- The phrase “Yipee-ki-yay, motherfucker!” is used in all five films.
- Renny Harlin was editing this film and 'The Adventures of Ford Fairlane' (1990) simultaneously, as both films had an extremely short post-production period. The two films were released only one month apart.
- By the end of its theatrical run, 'Die Hard 2' became the highest-grossing sequel of all time. This record was broken a year later by 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' (1991).
- In "Die Hard" (1988), Sergeant Powell hummed the song "Let It Snow". The same song plays at the end of this film.
- Filming was originally planned to take place in Minnesota, but there was insufficient snowfall in Minnesota that year, so filming was moved to Michigan.
- When the terrorists land the plane, lowering the horizon line by 60m, they choose a plane with almost empty fuel tanks ("its tanks are as dry as a martini"). Nevertheless, upon impact with the runway, the liner almost immediately explodes, as if it had full fuel tanks.
- An elderly woman on the plane is reading a book that resembles the novel "Lethal Weapon". Joel Silver was the producer of the films "Lethal Weapon" (1987), "Die Hard" (1988), and "Die Hard 2" (1990).
- When the terrorists land the plane by lowering the horizon line by 60 meters, they choose an aircraft with nearly empty tanks ("its tanks are dry as a martini"). Nevertheless, upon hitting the runway, the airliner explodes almost immediately, as if its fuel tanks were full.
- The film's budget grew not by the day, but by the hour. At one point, production costs reached $20,000 per minute.
- Filming took place from December 14, 1989, to May 14, 1990.
- Black & Decker paid the producers to advertise a cordless drill in one of the scenes featuring Bruce Willis. During editing, this scene was cut from the film. Black & Decker sued 20th Century Fox, marking the first lawsuit regarding product placement in cinema. The parties settled the dispute out of court.
- Combat weapons cannot use blank cartridges without special attachments or a specially designed barrel: the weapon's mechanism simply won't function. Therefore, the scene of swapping magazines from live to blank and back looks completely unnatural.
- General Esperanza arrives at the airport on a Fairchild C-123 Provider military transport aircraft. For the filming, the standard piston engines were removed from the C-123 and replaced with four 'jet engines' – mock 'barrels' that were 'fitted' directly onto the wing.
- Black & Decker paid producers to feature a cordless drill in a scene with Bruce Willis. This scene was cut from the film during editing. Black & Decker sued 20th Century Fox, marking the first lawsuit regarding product placement in cinema. The parties settled the dispute out of court.
- The scene of John being ejected was filmed against a blue screen using a motion control camera system, significantly improved since its use in "Star Wars". The image of McClane was separated from the background using a "traveling matte" and combined with footage of an explosion on an optical printer.
- The film is based on the novel "58 Minutes" by Walter Wager.
- It took several nights to film the fight scene between Bruce Willis and William Sadler on the airplane wing. Huge fans spraying artificial snow were used to shoot this scene.
- Renny Harlin suggested that William Sadler be naked in the scene where he first appears in the film. According to Harlin, this was an effective but unusual way to introduce the main villain to the audience.
- It took several nights to film the fight scene between Bruce Willis and William Sadler on the wing of the plane. Large fans spraying artificial snow were used for filming this scene.
- The grenades thrown at McClane on the plane are M30 grenades – a training version of the M26 grenade (they are marked on the body with RFX55). The detonation delay of the M26 is 4-5 seconds. The first grenade would have detonated before the last one was even thrown.
- An elderly woman on the plane is reading a book that resembles the novel "Lethal Weapon." Joel Silver was the producer of "Lethal Weapon" (1987), "Die Hard" (1988), and "Die Hard 2" (1990).
- John McTiernan wanted to direct a film, but couldn't because he was contractually obligated to direct "The Hunt for Red October" (1990).
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Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
