The story of the 1988 film Die Hard takes place in 1988. The action unfolds during a Christmas Eve party at Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles, where New York police officer John McClane confronts terrorists led by Hans Gruber.
The year is supported by the film’s release-era setting and its contemporary references, including the technology, clothing, vehicles, and corporate environment shown throughout the movie. Die Hard was released in July 1988, but its plot is explicitly set at Christmas.
John McTiernan directed the film, which stars Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, and Reginald VelJohnson. Some viewers remember the film primarily by its holiday setting and overlook the precise year, but the production is a contemporary 1988 action thriller rather than a period story.