Release order
Start with Die Hard and continue by release date. The first film establishes McClane, while later films revisit relationships and raise the scale of the action.
The wrong place. The right movie night.
Ordinary plans.
Extraordinary trouble.
John McClane’s very bad days become an increasingly large-scale action series. Five theatrical films make this one of the simplest franchises to follow from beginning to end.
Die Hard1988–2013About 10 hours
Before you press play
Two ways in.
One great journey.
Story order
The main stories follow release order. There are no theatrical prequels or competing reboot groups in the released five-film sequence.
The films / 5 theatrical releases
Die Hard
Your viewing guide.
Release order · US theatrical dates where available. Story order is an editorial viewing suggestion.
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Die Hard
The original high-rise thriller and recommended starting point.
Directed by John McTiernan
With Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander GodunovUS theatrical release:
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Die Hard 2
McClane’s second theatrical adventure moves the crisis to an airport.
Directed by Renny Harlin
With Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, William SadlerUS theatrical release:
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Die Hard: With a Vengeance
A citywide challenge changes the format of the third film.
Directed by John McTiernan
With Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. JacksonUS theatrical release:
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Live Free or Die Hard
The fourth film, also released under the title Die Hard 4.0.
Directed by Len Wiseman
With Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, Justin LongUS theatrical release:
Search Amazon for Blu-ray for Live Free or Die Hard (opens in a new tab)Paid link · Search resultsCheck the film, disc format, included cuts, and US playback compatibility.
A Good Day to Die Hard
The fifth released film takes McClane into an international story.
Directed by John Moore
With Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian KochUS theatrical release:
Search Amazon for Blu-ray for A Good Day to Die Hard (opens in a new tab)Paid link · Search resultsCheck the film, disc format, included cuts, and US playback compatibility.
Guide notes & sources
Editorial review: . Released theatrical features only; television, shorts, direct-to-video titles, and unreleased films are excluded. Story order follows each whole film’s main narrative. This guide is not a content rating or age recommendation.
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