Red One recently hit the screens. The action comedy film chronicles the rescue mission of Santa Claus who gets abducted by a villain. Aside from the thrilling plot, there was one aspect of the film that left viewers thrilled. It was an easter egg related to the iconic 1988 action thriller Die Hard. So, how did Red One pay tribute to the Bruce Willis starrer?
Here is everything you need to know about the homage to the 80s classic.
How is Bruce Willis connected to Dwayne Johnson’s Red One?
Red One’s ending showcases an interesting scene of Santa Claus played by J.K Simmons. The scene serves as a tribute to Bruce Willis’ 1988 film Die Hard. Die Hard features an iconic shot of the lead character of detective John McClane, played by Willis.
It shows him crawling through the vents trying to escape Karl Vreseki at Nakotami Plaza. The scene becomes more thrilling with McClane trying to see through the vents with a lighter and delivering the popular dialogue,” Come out to the coast, have a few laughs.”
A similar scene is used in Dwayne Johnson’s Red One with the Santa Claus as he sneaks into houses to distribute gifts. Santa also crawls through air vents to enter houses and meet the kids.
This callback definitely brought a huge smile to the audience’s face, especially fans of the 1988 action flick. Johnson and Red One’s director are also fond of the film. As a result, their love of the classic must have inspired them to include the easter egg.
Johnson also has huge respect for Bruce Willis as the two collaborated in the 2013 flick G.I. Joe: Retaliation. During a promotional event for the film, Johnson even showered praises on Wills. He stated at a UK press conference, ”Bruce Willis is the ultimate man’s man… Bruce and I have been buddies for a long time” (via ComicBookMovie). Aside from Johnson, Wills has worked with J.K Simmons in the 1997 film The Jackal.
