Pratik Handore
Amazon Prime’s ‘Die Hart: The Movie’ is an action-comedy movie directed by Eric Appel (‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘). It stars Kevin Hart, John Travolta, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Jean Reno in the lead roles. It follows a fictional version of Hart as he seeks to star in an action movie. As a result, Hart is sent to train with action star coach Ron Wilcox but soon finds his life in danger at the remote school. Given that the movie’s narrative is glued together by Hart playing a version of himself, viewers must be curious to learn if the film is based on actual events. If you are wondering whether ‘Die Hart: The Movie’ is real or scripted, here is everything you need to know!
Die Hart The Movie: Scripted Comedy Blends Fiction with Hollywood Parody
‘Die Hart: The Movie’ is not based on a true story. First and foremost, it is not a film in the traditional sense. The story originated as an action-comedy television series titled ‘Die Hart’ that premiered in 2021. It comprises ten episodes of approximately 9 minutes each. These episodes are compiled, re-edited, and packaged as one complete feature film. In the movie, Kevin Hart plays a fictional version of himself. Hart began his career as a standup comedian and transitioned to acting with a recurring role in the Judd Apatow sitcom ‘Undeclared.’
Over the years, Hart has made a name for himself thanks to his comedic parts in several hit films and television shows. In more recent years, Hart has transitioned to more serious roles with movies like ‘True Story‘ and ‘Fatherhood.’ However, he is mostly known for playing the comic relief character in big-budget action movies such as ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,’ ‘Central Intelligence,’ and ‘Hobbs & Shaw.’ Hart’s typecasting as a comedy actor is the shared thread between him and the fictionalized version that takes center stage in the movie.
The concept for the movie originated from Hart’s standup comedy special ‘Kevin Hart: What Now?’ which features a prologue sequence depicting the actor as an FBI agent. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hart admitted that the prologue sequence inspired the original series (and, in turn, the movie). “Yes, that was just me doing a little spoof that was in more of the James Bond genre. We were waiting for the opportunity to try to figure out what the next version of that was, and we stumbled on this idea,” Hart said in the interview.
Given Hart’s comedic genius, it is not hard to imagine that the entire movie was improvised. However, that is not the case with ‘Die Hart,’ as the series was entirely scripted. Hart worked with screenwriters Tripper Clancy and Derek Kolstad. Clancy is known for writing the dark comedy series ‘I Am Not Okay with This’ and the buddy comedy ‘Stuber.’ On the other hand, Kolstad has gained fame for writing some of the best action movies of the decade, such as ‘John Wick’ and ‘Nobody.’
The movie’s title is an obvious reference to the 1998 hit action movie ‘Die Hard.’ However, it was also inspired by Hart’s love for action movies of the 80s and the 90s. “I was a fan of action movies in the 80s and 90s. You know, look, everything has an origin; everything has a beginning,” Hart told Esquire. Consequently, the movie references the 80s and 90s action movies, such as ‘First Blood’ and ‘Mission: Impossible.’
All things said, ‘Die Hart: The Movie’ is not based on a true story. It follows a fictional version of Kevin Hart as he pursues his dream of starring as the lead actor in an action movie. It is a retooling of the series of the same name and is largely inspired by the action movies of the 80s and 90s. It features a heavy dose of comedy with the action that is mostly scripted but not entirely devoid of improvisation from the actors.
Read More: Where Was Die Hart: The Movie Filmed?
