Watch the Die Hard films in release order: Die Hard (1988), Die Hard 2, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Live Free or Die Hard and A Good Day to Die Hard. Each is a self-contained case, but John McClane's family story runs through them in order.
- Titles
- 5
- Films
- 5
- Watch time
- 10 hours
- Box office
- $1.44 billion
- Avg IMDb
- 7.1
Die Hard movies in release order
Here is every Die Hard title in the order it came out, 1988 to 2013: 5 films.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Die Hard | 1988 | Film | 2h 12m | 8.2 |
| 2 | Die Hard 2 | 1990 | Film | 2h 4m | 7.2 |
| 3 | Die Hard with a Vengeance | 1995 | Film | 2h 8m | 7.6 |
| 4 | Live Free or Die Hard | 2007 | Film | 2h 8m | 7.1 |
| 5 | A Good Day to Die Hard | 2013 | Film | 1h 38m | 5.2 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
For Die Hard, release order and story order are the same thing: every film picks up after the one before it. There is no prequel to slot in early and no flashback to reshuffle, so the list above is the only order you need.
Where to start
Start with Die Hard and go in release order.
The whole thing is 10 hours. At two hours a night that is about 6 evenings.
The three highest rated: Die Hard (8.2), Die Hard with a Vengeance (7.6), and Die Hard 2 (7.2).
Every Die Hard movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 1988 · Film · 2h 12m
Die Hard
High above the city of L.A. a team of terrorists has seized a building, taken hostages, and declared war. One man has manages to escape... An off-duty cop hiding somewhere inside. He's alone, tired... and the only chance anyone has got.
Why it matters: Nakatomi Plaza on Christmas Eve; the place to start.
- Starring
- Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, and Alexander Godunov
- Director
- John McTiernan
- Box office
- $141 million on a $28 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 94%
No. 02 · 1990 · Film · 2h 4m
Die Hard 2
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.
Why it matters: Christmas Eve again, at Dulles Airport.
- Starring
- Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, and William Sadler
- Director
- Renny Harlin
- Box office
- $240 million on a $70 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 68%
No. 03 · 1995 · Film · 2h 8m
Die Hard with a Vengeance
New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he'd seen it all, until a genius named Simon engages McClane, his new "partner" -- and his beloved city -- in a deadly game that demands their concentration.
Why it matters: Hans Gruber's brother and Samuel L. Jackson.
- Starring
- Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, and Samuel L. Jackson
- Director
- John McTiernan
- Box office
- $366 million on a $90 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 60%
No. 04 · 2007 · Film · 2h 8m
Live Free or Die Hard
John McClane is back and badder than ever, and this time he calls on the services of a young hacker in his bid to stop a ring of Internet terrorists intent on taking control of America's computer infrastructure.
Why it matters: McClane versus a cyber attack.
- Starring
- Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, and Justin Long
- Director
- Len Wiseman
- Box office
- $384 million on a $110 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 82%
No. 05 · 2013 · Film · 1h 38m
A Good Day to Die Hard
Iconoclastic, take-no-prisoners cop John McClane, finds himself for the first time on foreign soil after traveling to Moscow to help his wayward son Jack - unaware that Jack is really a highly-trained CIA operative out to stop a nuclear weapons heist. With the Russian underworld in pursuit, and battling a countdown to war, the two McClanes discover that their opposing methods make them unstoppable heroes.
Why it matters: McClane and his son in Moscow.
- Starring
- Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, and Sebastian Koch
- Director
- John Moore
- Box office
- $305 million on a $92 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 15%
Die Hard box office and budgets
The 5 Die Hard films with reported numbers have grossed $1.44 billion worldwide on about $390 million in combined budgets, roughly 3.7 times what they cost. The biggest is Live Free or Die Hard at $384 million, 27% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Die Hard with a Vengeance ($366 million) and A Good Day to Die Hard ($305 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Die Hard, which made 5.0 times its $28 million budget. The weakest was A Good Day to Die Hard at 3.3 times its $92 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Die Hard movies
Across 5 rated titles, Die Hard averages 7.1 on IMDb. The top of the list is Die Hard at 8.2, then Die Hard with a Vengeance (7.6) and Die Hard 2 (7.2). At the bottom: A Good Day to Die Hard (5.2) and Live Free or Die Hard (7.1). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Live Free or Die Hard, is only the 4th best rated.
- Die Hard8.2 · RT 94%
- Die Hard with a Vengeance7.6 · RT 60%
- Die Hard 27.2 · RT 68%
- Live Free or Die Hard7.1 · RT 82%
- A Good Day to Die Hard5.2 · RT 15%
Who appears in the most Die Hard movies
Bruce Willis leads with 5 appearances as John McClane, ahead of Bonnie Bedelia (2) and William Atherton (2). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Willis | John McClane | 5 | Die Hard (1988) to A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) |
| Bonnie Bedelia | Holly Gennaro McClane / Holly McClane | 2 | Die Hard (1988) to Die Hard 2 (1990) |
| William Atherton | Richard Thornburg / Richard Thornberg | 2 | Die Hard (1988) to Die Hard 2 (1990) |
| Mary Elizabeth Winstead | Lucy McClane | 2 | Live Free or Die Hard (2007) to A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) |
Die Hard directors and creators
4 filmmakers have directed or created Die Hard; John McTiernan has the most, with 2.
- John McTiernanDie Hard (1988) and Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
- Renny HarlinDie Hard 2 (1990)
- Len WisemanLive Free or Die Hard (2007)
- John MooreA Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
How long it takes to watch every Die Hard movie
All 5 titles add up to 10 hours. That is about 6 two-hour evenings, or 2 days of ten-hour binges. The longest film is Die Hard at 2h 12m.
The 4 best rated films: Die Hard, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Die Hard 2, and Live Free or Die Hard.
Everything takes about 2 weeks.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Die Hard movies in?
Watch the Die Hard films in release order: Die Hard (1988), Die Hard 2, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Live Free or Die Hard and A Good Day to Die Hard. Each is a self-contained case, but John McClane's family story runs through them in order.
How many Die Hard movies and shows are there?
There are 5 titles in the Die Hard franchise: 5 films and 0 series, released from 1988 to 2013.
How long does it take to watch all the Die Hard movies?
About 10 hours for all 5 titles, counting every episode.
What is the first Die Hard title in chronological order?
Die Hard, set in Nakatomi Plaza, Christmas. In release order the first is Die Hard (1988).
What is the best Die Hard movie?
By IMDb score, Die Hard (1988) at 8.2, followed by Die Hard with a Vengeance at 7.6.
What is the highest-grossing Die Hard movie?
Live Free or Die Hard (2007), with $384 million worldwide. Die Hard films have made $1.44 billion in total.
Who has appeared in the most Die Hard movies?
Bruce Willis, in 5 of them as John McClane.
What is the longest Die Hard movie?
Die Hard, at 2h 12m.
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