Bruce Willis Unveils Giant "Die Hard" Mural

Bruce Willis unveiled a permanent tribute to his Die Hard character John MCClane at a movie studio in California on Thursday (31Jan13) to mark 25 years since the original film's release. The actor was catapulted to movie star status in 1988 following the release of the popular action film, which spawned a series of sequels including 2013's fifth installment A Good Day to Die Hard. Willis was on hand to celebrate the movie's 25th anniversary on Thursday by unveiling a giant 35-foot (10.7-metre) mural on the side of a soundstage at the 20th Century Fox Studios in Century City, California. The actor pressed a fake detonator, which let off a fireworks display and dropped a curtain to unveil the huge artwork, which showed Willis crawling through an air vent as tough New York cop MCClane. He said of the tribute, "This is really nice. I started on Stage 20 at Fox. I'm so honoured. Thank you so much... Twenty-five years. I don't really notice the passage of time. At the time, I didn't know what it was. And the idea of sequels hadn't happened yet. I probably should have been paying more attention." Fox boss Jim Gianopulos adds, "If you look around the lot, there's Star Wars, The Simpsons, The Sound of Music, all classic properties that have defined the studio's history. This is another iconic film with a singular and enduring legacy. At the heart of it is a character who's a combination of Everyman and Superman. He's the classic reluctant hero who finds himself and rises to the occasion." The unveiling was followed by a screening of the new film and a party at Fox Plaza, the venue which doubled as the location for the ill-fated Nakatomi Plaza building in the first Die Hard film. (contactmusic)