Fifth 'Die Hard' Will Be Even More Joyless Than You Thought

Speaking to Empire Magazine, A Good Day to Die Hard director John Moore has warned us not to expect much in the way of lightheartedness or wisecracks from John McClane in his latest adventure. After all, Moore explained, in the midst of a worldwide financial crisis, who can really know what a TV dinner feels like anymore?

With Moore reportedly "keen to downplay idea that the fifth Die Hard could be a light-hearted romp," the magazine asked him, "no glib jokes then? No 'How can the same shit happen to the same guy five times...' lines?" (Note: that's really less a glib joke than a pretty rational question for John McClane to be asking.)

The Max Payne director's response:

"No, because that's preposterous! I don't know whether it's post-financial crash or whatever, but I don't think people are in the mood for that bollocks anymore. People are well savvy to the cynical reheating of any product, any franchise. Any shit won't do. The bar's a bit higher."

That's not to say there won't be a few laughs to be had among the murderin' and father-son bonding, though. Moore added:

"There are a couple of great gags and a couple of great McClanisms. It's not like he this idiot, bumbling around Moscow making 'America won the Cold War' jokes. It's not Carry On Die Hard, I can assure you..."

Fair enough, Moore, but if you're so intent on not going the "idiot, bumbling around Moscow making 'America won the Cold War' jokes" route, then there's no getting upset when Larry the Cable Guy takes that for Delta Farce 2: Nyet-R-Done.