Bruce Willis is back as John McClane once again, and this time in a short film doubling as a commercial for DieHard car batteries. With high production value and Willis treating the role the very same way he has in all five movies, the short does have that distinctDie Hardfeel to it — even if it also has some funny moments. The two-minute video, dubbed “DIEHARD IS BACK,” has been posted to YouTube by Advance Auto Parts, and you can watch it below.
“Well, you wanted the quiet life, John. Dead batteries. Empty streets,“John McClanesays at the beginning of the video with his car unable to start. He is forced to go into an Advance Auto Parts store to purchase a battery, and that’s when he’s approached by an assault team led by Clarence Gilyard Jr. as Theo, Hans Gruber’s tech specialist from the originalDie Hard. But that’s not going to stop him from buying a DieHard battery, crashing through the store’s window to pick one up.
“Is there another way out?” McClane asks a store employee. This leads to a familiar moment as McClane shimmies his way through anotheroversized air duct. He manages to escape the building and reunite with his limo driver, Argyle, with De’voreaux White reprising the role. It all culminates in McClane reaching his car to install the DieHard battery, but not before using it to whack a henchman in the face. In trueDie Hardfashion, he also blows up his pursuers.
Bruce Willishas been playing the role of John McClane for over three decades. The firstDie Hardwas released in 1988 to great success, spawning one of themost popular action movie franchisesto date. Willis would reprise the role forDie Hard 2andDie Hard with a Vengeancein the ’90s, and for a while, it appeared that the franchise would serve as a trilogy. He stepped back into the part forLive Free or Die Hardin 2007 and again inA Good Day to Die Hardin 2013.
It’s unclear if we’ll ever see anotherDie Hardmovie hit the big screen. Plans for a prequel story dubbedMcClanehad stalled at Fox when the company was acquired by Disney, leaving the future of the series uncertain. While there’s always the possibility that Disney may try to do something withDie Hardat some point in the future, as of now, the franchise appears to be dead.
We may not ever seeDie Hard 6on the big screen, but the DieHard commercial with Willis as John McClane seems to be the next best thing. The “DIEHARD IS BACK” video comes to us fromAdvance Auto Parts on YouTube.
