Dont be surprised if production begins before the end of the year.
And, as an avidDie Hardfan, I confess to being one of the grumblers.
Nor have I pondered how Al got addicted to Twinkies.
In fact, the first 10 minutes or so ofDie Hardis a masterclass in economy of storytelling.
Once youve done that, where can you go?
Year One
Thus,Die Hard: Year Onehas come about.
As Len Wiseman described it toCollider, weve never seen the actual love story.
Its always been something Ive been thinking about, and now were doing it.
And it ties in.
Die Hard: Year Onealready exists, though.
Its in 1977 that he meets Holly.
And that is part of the continual challenge in the ongoing Hollywood obsession with prequel stories.
For it to have one sequel, something must have gone right with the first film.
Writers work really, really, really hard at that.
Take a look at the first 20 minutes ofInside Out, for instance.
How seamlessly is the world set up?
Can you begin to imagine how much interrogating of a story and screenplay that took?
It gave us every detail we needed, and not one more.
Yet how did the world ofInside Outcome about in the first place?
I couldnt give two hoots.
Answers
Prequels are answering questions that nobody seems to be answering.
How did Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader?
It never crossed my mind to ask.
Hannibal Lecter: what was he like growing up?
Sully and Mike: how did they get on at university?
And hey, where did the Minions actually come from?
Still, occasionally, things go right.
Id argue most who watched the film never really twigged, or were concerned that it was.
Prequels can work, then, at least when theres clear narrative reason for their existence.
ButDie Hard: Year Onefeels like its about commerce.
The heavily-malignedStar Warsprequel felt the same.
Im happy to be proven wrong.
In total, four films to answer the question where did the Alien come from?
Not for nothing am I more interested in Neill Blomkamps proposedAlien5.
After all, not telling us things is as potent a storytelling rig as telling us things sometimes.
How do you raise the stakes?
Perhaps thats whyDie Hard: Year Oneis going to be a sequel and a prequel.
That itll at least keep something back.
Vests
But still: theres a reason why people approach origins films and prequels with caution.
The ones who really win?
Thatd be the movie studios, of course, looking forward to another payday.
WithDie Hardin particular, the attempts to strangle and bludgeon a golden goose are set to continue.
Maybe this one will have some vestige of the originals magic about it?
I can but hope…
