Die Hard movies in order
There are five Die Hard films and no series. They follow John McClane in release order, which is also their story order, from Christmas Eve at Nakatomi Plaza to Moscow. Each film has a self-contained plot, so none is required to follow the next, but the order above is the story order. No further film is in production: the planned McClane prequel was dropped in 2021, and Bruce Willis retired from acting in 2023.
Release order at a glance
The order, with notes
| # | Title | Year | Runtime | Type | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Die Hard | 1988 | 132 min | Main film | Start here. Set on Christmas Eve at Nakatomi Plaza, Los Angeles. |
| 2 | Die Hard 2 | 1990 | 124 min | Main film | Set two years after the first film, at Christmas 1990, at Dulles airport. |
| 3 | Die Hard with a Vengeance | 1995 | 128 min | Main film | Set in New York in late summer. McClane is suspended and separated from Holly. |
| 4 | Live Free or Die Hard | 2007 | 128 min | Main film | Set over a decade after the third film, on Independence Day. Titled Die Hard 4.0 outside North America. |
| 5 | A Good Day to Die Hard | 2013 | 98 min | Main film | Set a few years after Live Free or Die Hard, mostly in Moscow. |
Runtimes are theatrical cuts. Source: Wikipedia film pages, checked 14 Oct 2026.
Where to start: Start with Die Hard (1988). It is the first film in the story and the one each sequel refers back to.
Chronological order
Hollow dots are spin-offs and series. Dates are story settings where the films state them, otherwise release years.
How many Die Hard movies are there?
Coming soon
No new Die Hard film has been announced. This page updates the week one is.
Change log
- 14 Oct 2026 — Page created and checked against Wikipedia.