Renny Harlin Talks The Beast, Die Hard 2, and Reveals What Bruce Willis Hated About John McClane

After 40 years in the business, Die Hard 2 director Renny Harlin knows a thing or two about making blockbuster action movies. In fact, he’s overseen classic films from across genres, including “the second best shark movie after Jaws,” Deep Blue Sea, and was the man responsible for making Freddy Krueger the “James Bond of horror.” Now, his new action thriller, The Beast, starring Samuel L. Jackson, is careening into theaters, and Collider has the behind-the-scenes scoop on how they pulled it all off in only eight weeks. In the movie, the president (Jackson) flees the White House with his injured Secret Service agent, Taft (Joel Kinnaman), when a hostile militia stages a military coup. The two are forced to escape in the presidential limousine, equipped only with the vehicle’s highly classified offensive weapons. During a post-screening Q&A with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Harlin reveals all the secrets from set, breaking down how their team used Volume technology to put audiences inside the car with Jackson and Kinnaman. He discusses orchestrating practical explosions and car sequences, designing the car, reveals the scenes and songs cut from the movie, and how Jackson’s iconic line made the cut through improv. For all this, plus why Harlin refused to make a James Bond movie, how he transformed Krueger into the dreamy horror king we love today, and the major changes Bruce Willis wanted to make in Die Hard 2. The Beast is in theaters now. #thebeast #rennyharlin #samuelljackson #joelkinnaman #diehard2 For interviews, movie reviews, and more visit https://collider.com FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL   / collider     / collider     / collider