On July 15th, 1988, the John McTiernan film, "Die Hard", was released to theaters across the United States! Starring Bruce Willis, the film was based on the 1979 Roderick Thorp novel, "Nothing Lasts Forever". The role of John McClane was offered to and declined by some major actors of the time including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvestor Stallone, but was ultimalety given to Willis, who was paid $5 million of his involvement, making him one of Hollywood's highest paid actors. Before release, the expectations for "Die Hard" were low, but against the odds, it grossed approximately $140 million on a $35 million production budget, becoming the tenth-highest-grossing film of 1988. Today, "Die Hard" is considered one of the greatest action films of all time, as well as one of the greatest Christmas films of all time, although its status as a Christmas movie is disputed.
