Red has sly connections to several Christmas films and the film is a perfect homage to Bruce Willis and Die Hard. Dwayne Johnson’s 2024 action film is more firmly rooted in the Christmas holiday season than Bruce Willis’ iconic 1988 action film. This is due to Red including Santa Claus, his elves and more mythological creatures and beings linked to the holiday. Yet, Die HardThe Christmas setting of Christmas means it has been tied to the holiday ever since, including the endless debates over whether Die Hard It’s a Christmas movie.
Even with its action roots, Red and Die Hard they are very different films that seemingly have little in common other than the Christmas setting. One is about a thief and an ELF commander trying to save Santa from an evil witch before she traps all the naughty humans. The other is about a normal guy who fights back while Russians take hostages during a robbery at his wife’s company during the Christmas party. Despite their differences, Red found a clever way to pay homage to Bruce Willis and Die Hard through a brief moment.
Red One references John McClane’s ventilation scene in Die Hard
JK Simmons’ Santa Claus copies Bruce Willis
The reference to Die Hard enter Redends with a Santa-focused montage by JK Simmons. The film takes a few minutes to show its Santa Claus sneaking into homes to deliver gifts to children, and his methods of entry and escape vary. One of the moments shows Simmons’ Santa army crawling through air vents with a big smile on his face. The scene and the way it is framed are immediately reminiscent of John McClane’s outburst scene in Die Hard.
The vent scene in Die Hard is one of the most iconic scenes in the film, as Bruce Willis’ action hero crawls through Nakotami Plaza’s air vents as he tries to escape Karl Vreski. The moment includes him using a lighter to help him see into the vent and saying the memorable phrase, “Come to the shore, have some laughs.” The vent scene has become so widely recognizable that it is even a popular Christmas ornament idea for everyone. Die Hard aficionados. Now, Red uses JK Simmons’ Santa Claus to pay homage to the iconic moment.
Bruce Willis’ Connections to the Red One Explained
Bruce Willis has a history with some Red One stars
The decision to give Red one Die Hard The Easter egg could have boiled down to Dwayne Johnson and director Jake Kasdan’s love for the 1988 action film, but Bruce Willis also has some ties to the 2024 film. Thanks to the longevity of his incredible career, Willis has worked with some of the people involved in the Red. He notably appeared alongside Dwayne Johnson in GI Joe: Retaliationwhich marked the only time they worked together. Willis was also one of the protagonists of 1997 The Jackalwhich included JK Simmons.
It is plausible that Dwayne Johnson is largely responsible for the Die Hard tribute. When he was promoting GI Joe: Retaliation in 2013, Johnson said at a press conference in the United Kingdom that “Bruce Willis is the best man in the world… Bruce and I have been friends for a long time.” (through comic book movie) The friendship between Johnson and Willis could help explain why Red included the brief Die Hard reference.