Die Hard (1988) — Screenplay
A New York cop must outwit a ruthless thief holding his wife and her co-workers hostage in a Los Angeles skyscraper during a Christmas party, with no help from the local police.
- Written by
- Steven E. de Souza
- Genre
- Action, Crime, Thriller
- Studio
- Twentieth Century Studios
- Length
- 125 pages
Study how Die Hard masterfully builds tension through confined space and ticking-clock pacing, and how McClane's everyman voice keeps the action grounded in humor. The script's alternating POVs between hero and villain elevate the cat-and-mouse dynamic, making it a textbook example of efficient, character-driven action writing.
Read the full Die Hard (1988) screenplay in PDF, page by page, right here on Laper — or download the original script to study Steven E. de Souza’s scene work, dialogue and structure at your own pace. A free resource for screenwriters and film students learning Hollywood script format.