Call him “Roy”; Jeremy Sande’s pitch to play John McClane in the 6th Die Hard film, “McClane”

In October 2017 I wrote an immediate reaction to the bare-bone synopsis of the next Die Hard film. It’s not that I’m not a fan of Die Hard or Bruce Willis/John McClane, it’s more about the fact that I’ve seen the franchise move away from the wrong-place-wrong-time, fixed location presentation. By way of it, the franchise was getting away from John McClane and what made the character a draw in the original film and early sequels.

Here it is, a year and a half later and I’ve been wondering casually what the deal is with the film tentatively titled (at the time of my original write-up) Die Hard: Year One. The bare-bones synopsis that came out with the news of the sixth film said that the movie would be a prequel/sequel hybrid that Willis would be involved in. Yet casting news, filming news, it all slipped by without actually being news… or so I thought because I haven’t heard or seen shit.

In some ways, it’s understandable that the movie hasn’t moved forward – those “some ways” being the merger of 21^st Century Fox (20^th Century Fox) and Disney. Unlike when Walt Disney Pictures took control of the Star Wars franchise, there’s a hell of a lot more to organize and oversee with the acquisition of the entire 21^st Century Fox motion picture studio (and more holdings of various sorts). Moving forward quickly with the Die Hard movie (that’s to be helmed by Len Wiseman and titled McClane) may have been slowed by the sale logistics or other various things, I wouldn’t know for sure.

I was updated a touch by a surprise email a few days ago. This blog isn’t one that tends to get PR email or press contacts (whereas my days writing for Raw Charge has added me to alot of hockey-related and Tampa Bay-area PR stuff). The contact wasn’t from Fox, not Disney, or a third-party agency or talent firm, but from a would-be Officer John McClane.

Actor Jeremy Sande has been in a few pictures of note (such as Deepwater Horizon), he’s been part of television series’ as well (though Moonlighting isn’t among them — said with humorous jest). Among those roles has been an homage to Die Hard. Call it an homage, call it a prequel, call it a screen-test, but Jeremy was John McClane in the short, Roy (“Roy” being the nickname McClane uses in Die Hard, a tribute to Roy Rogers… But you very well know this if you’re a Die Hard fan).

The PR email in-general is posted below, but it serves as a reminder that the Die Hard prequel/sequel, McClane, is in development. While this is one actor trying to get his hands on the role, there must be many others who are pursuing it. Mind you, role-casting to monitor isn’t just for the role of McClane but also Holly Gennaro, McClane’s love-interest and wife (played by Bonnie Bedieiia in Die Hard, and Die Hard 2: Die Harder). That’s just two roles off the top of my head. Who the antagonist is (and it ain’t a Gruber) and if any of the characters from other Die Hard films work their way into the story remains to be seen. (For the sake of saying so, seeing this is supposededly to happen on New Year’s Eve in New York in 1978, characters by name from Die Hard: With a Vengeance – New York City Police characters – would seem to be the ones who may pop up… but I’m just guessing on this without doing intense research into casting options and whatnot.)

The email is as follows:

A young Bruce Willis look-a-like is gunning to play the part of the young John McClane in the upcoming prequel “McClane”.

According to The Clarion Ledger, New Orleans-based actor Jeremy Sande (“Deepwater Horizon”) is pounding the pavement in the hopes that Len Wiseman will consider him for a role in the next title of the “Die Hard” franchise. Wiseman is set to direct “McClane” which will give a glimpse into the life of a young McClane before his days of rescuing hostages from the Nakatomi Plaza.

Says the actor, “About a year ago when I found out they were going to do another Die Hard, I thought, ‘Man, I’ve got to do this.’ When it (Die Hard) came out it blew away the action genre. John McClane was just a normal guy who wound up in a situation where he had to perform outstanding acts to survive which is what the human genome is designed to do.”

“So I set out to produce a short film, basically as my informal audition tape. With the help of some incredibly talented filmmaking friends, we made “Roy” within a week.” Anyone that is a Die Hard fan will understand the Roy reference from the original 1988 film, directed by John McTiernan.

Sande’s film, “Roy”, can be seen via YouTube:

“My degree of separation isn’t very far at all
” he said. “I blasted a couple of representatives and publicists. I’m picking up the bread crumbs and seeing where they lead me. It sounds crazy but if it works then I’m a genius.”

Sande has worked alongside some big names in Hollywood. Mark Wahlberg, Liam Hemsworth, and Bill Skarsgard, to name a few. He seems to think that he has learned what it will take to walk in those bloody footprints of Bruce Willis.

“Since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to be an entertainer. I watched every movie I could get my hands on. I feel like this is my shot… so I’m taking it.” Sande says. A more in-epth telling of his story can be seen here:

“McClane”, written by Carey W. Hayes and Chad Hayes, will feature Bruce Willis’s older incarnation of McClane as well as a younger version of the character, seen in flashbacks. It’s believed a large proportion of the story will take place – like the original – over one night, in this case, New Years Eve 1979.