4. Before You Die Hard
Prequels are all the rage now, and Bruce Willis cant do this forever. So what better way to breath life into the franchise, than to go back to the beginning? Way back to the beginning, when McClane is in his 20s, fresh out of the Police Academy. Lets just avoid Joseph Gordon-Levitt with uber eyebrows for however plays him. We get to see Holly and John going on their first date. We get to see where Johns fear of flying comes from (cue high octane plane crash, anyone?). We get to see him crack his first case, and most likely watch him get asked to surrender his badge more than once. He could even have a run in with a certain officer Johnson - a man applying to join the FBI. The ending is pretty self-evident; McClane the beat cop becomes McClane the New York detective. This could be a great period cop movie set in late 70s New York, and maybe even play against the infamous corruption charges brought about by the likes of Serpico. We would have to forgo the involvement of L.A based Sergeant Al Powell, but maybe he could be substituted for another morbidly obese cake fiend with a heart of gold. Christmas in New York is a must for most Big Apple films, so the chances of McClane setting up and having a holy jolly Noel are quite high.
Tagline: There is a rookie. His name is John McClane.