The First 3 Die Hard Movies Are Getting the 4K Steelbook Treatment

The first three Die Hard movies are getting new limited-edition 4K steelbook releases. While the original 1988 film has been available in 4K UHD before, these new editions represent the first time the two sequels – Die Hard 2 and Die Hard with a Vengeance – will appear in the format. These are top-tier action movies that helped boost Bruce Willis into movie star status and, frankly, they rip. They’re available for preorder now for $44.99 each (see at Amazon), with a release date of December 1.Featured in this articleAll three movies are also Movies Anywhere eligible, meaning you can watch the included digital copies on any participating streamer, including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Fandango, and more.Die Hard - Limited-Edition SteelbookDie Hard - Limited-Edition SteelbookIncludes the movie in 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and digital.Get it at AmazonGet it at WalmartIt's no exaggeration to call the original Die Hard one of the best action movies ever made. Set during a company Christmas party in an otherwise deserted high-rise office building, it kicks off when a group of highly organized criminals take the partygoers hostage. What they don’t know is that out-of-town police detective John McClane (Willis) is also in the building and plans to stop them (his wife, played by Bonnie Bedilia, is one of the hostages). This movie is as close to perfect as an action movie gets, with a script that keeps the upping the ante as the criminals discover McClane is in the building and the local police and FBI only cause further problems. The film, directed by John McTiernan (Predator, The Hunt for Red October), was so successful that it inspired a whole sub-genre of action films referred to as “Die Hard on a ____." Speed is “Die Hard on a bus,” Under Siege is “Die Hard on a boat, Air Force One is “Die Hard on a plane,” etc. This movie also introduced Alan Rickman, a gift to all humanity.Die Hard 2 - Limited-Edition SteelbookDie Hard 2 - Limited-Edition SteelbookIncludes the movie in 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and digital.Get it at AmazonGet it at WalmartIn 1990, two years after Die Hard, the sequel arrived. This movie isn’t as fondly remembered as the original, but it’s not a bad movie by any means. Directed by Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger, Deep Blue Sea), it once again takes place around Christmas, but this time in an airport. John McClane happens to be there, waiting for his wife’s plane to land, when terrorists take over the air traffic control system. This movie revisits many of the beats of the original. Again, McClane uncovers the terrorist plot early on and has trouble convincing the local cops the threat is real. Again, official law enforcement muddles things up and the media makes things worse. But it’s a solid action film, and it performed well enough at the box office for the studio to green-light a third installment.Die Hard with a Vengeance - Limited-Edition SteelbookDie Hard with a Vengeance - Limited-Edition SteelbookIncludes the movie in 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and digital.Get it at AmazonDie Hard with a Vengeance came out in 1995, five years after the previous entry. But it was worth the wait. John McTiernan is back in the director’s chair, and alongside Willis, the movie stars Samuel L. Jackson, fresh off Pulp Fiction, as well as the excellent, villainous Jeremy Irons.This time around the action takes place in New York City, McClane’s home turf, as Irons’s character “Simon” threatens to detonate bombs if McClane can’t solve puzzles he’s set up for him. This movie made $366 million and was the highest-grossing film of 1995. It still rules.Special FeaturesDie HardCommentary by director John McTiernan and Jackson DeGoviaScene-specific commentary by Richard EdlundSubtitle commentary by cast and crewThe News Casts featuretteInteractive still galleryDie Hard 2Commentary by director Renny HarlinDeleted scenesThe Making of Die Hard 2Original publicity featuretteThe Bad Guys featuretteBehind-the-scenes vignettesInterview with Renny HarlinSpecial effects breakdowns and side-by-side comparisonsStoryboard sequenceDie Hard with a VengeanceCommentary by director John McTiernan and Jonathan HensleighAlternate ending with optional commentary by John McTiernanBehind the Scenes: Die Hard with a Vengeance TV SpecialA Night to Die for TV SpecialVillains with a VengeanceOriginal publicity featuretteInterview with Bruce WillisVisual effects breakdowns and side-by-side comparisonsStoryboard sequenceFor more, check out our often-updated list of 4K UHD Blu-ray release dates.Chris Reed is a senior commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's LEGO coverage and maintains the upcoming release dates articles for video games, LEGO sets, and 4K Blu-rays. You can follow him on Bluesky.