Is ‘Die Hard’ A Christmas Movie? Cinematographer Sets Record Straight

One of the biggest arguments around the holidays is if 'Die Hard' is a Christmas Movie. Well, the cinematographer is setting the record straight.

Peter Billingsley, who starred in 'A Christmas Story', claims he convinced Jan de Bont, the cinematographer behind 'Die Hard', that the film is, in fact, a Christmas movie.

How Peter Billingsley Convinced Jan de Bont That 'Die Hard' Is A Christmas Movie

Jan de Bont recently said that he didn't understand how 'Die Hard' is a Christmas movie -- so Peter Billingsley decided to take on the challenge of changing his mind.

“You know Jan de Bont’s work — he directed 'Twister' and 'Speed',” Billingsley told PEOPLE. “I had seen some quotes of him that he did not believe that 'Die Hard' was a Christmas movie. He said, ‘I just don't see it.’ So I said, ‘Would you mind if I try to convince you of why this is a Christmas movie? I know you made it. I know you’ve lived with it for a very long time, since 1988.’ He said, ‘Okay.’ ”

The film follows a New York City police detective (Bruce Willis) who gets caught in a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper, but the film takes place on Christmas Eve, convincing many that the film is, in fact, a Christmas movie.

"I'm fully expecting judgment from this, but i finally watched 'Die Hard' for the first time & not only was the movie some of the greatest 2 hours and 15 minutes ever, but it is in fact a Christmas movie," one social media user wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, just days ago.

Another simply wrote, "DIE HARD IS A CHRISTMAS MOVIE!!!"

In the end, the 'Die Hard' cinematographer was convinced, and now says it is a Christmas movie.

“I think what sold [de Bont] is I said, ‘That relationship between John McClane and his estranged wife, they're fractured, but by the end, they learn to forgive each other. There’s hope, there’s joy, and they’re going to go and have a great Christmas morning with their kids,” Billingsley added.

“Not to mention there’s Christmas songs, and they have the snow falling. In my opinion, it is a Christmas movie,” he said.

“I went through my criterion,” Billingsley told the outlet. ”And he said, ‘I’ve never thought about it that way.’ He said, ‘You have now convinced me it is a Christmas movie.’ And I was like, ‘Yes!’ So I was able to change a filmmaker's mind, which was cool.”

'Die Hard' Director Says The Film Is A Christmas Movie

'Die Hard' director John McTiernan agrees with fans who say 'Die Hard' as a holiday film. “We hadn’t intended it to be a Christmas movie, but the joy that came from it is what turned it into a Christmas movie,” he told the American Film Institute in 2020.

So there you have it, 'Die Hard' is, in fact, a Christmas movie. Happy Holidays!