Is Nakatomi Plaza from "Die Hard" a real building? Exploring the iconic setting of the Christmas movie.

The 1988 action blockbuster Die Hard was filmed at Fox Plaza in Los Angeles, using unfinished sections of the towering building, which also housed offices for Fox executives and legal staff. Today, the skyscraper goes by the address 2121 Avenue of the Stars, and in 2022, Bruce Willis returned to the site.

While debates about whether Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas movie have been settled in popular culture, fans remain curious about the films iconic locations. One key question persists: Where is the real Nakatomi Plaza, and did the movie really shoot inside it?

Filming Location of Die Hard

Fox Plaza, the headquarters of 20th Century Fox, served as the real-world counterpart to the fictional Nakatomi Plaza and its towering Nakatomi Tower. The 34-story building, standing 493 feet tall, is located in Los Angeles Century City district. According to The Movies That Made Us on Netflix, Fox Plaza was partially operational during filming, with some floors occupied by corporate offices and others still under construction.

Cinematographer Jan de Bont explained in a 2018 interview that the building itself was treated as a character in the film. "The building needed to have personality, but also availability," he said. "Many floors were still under construction, which allowed us to use them as sets."

Filming posed challenges due to the building being partially occupied. Loud gunfire and explosions disturbed workers, requiring noisy scenes to be shot after business hours. Director John McTiernan recalled how lawyers on certain floors would protest the loud filming activities.

The Building Today

Fox Plaza still stands and is now known as 2121 Avenue of the Stars. It continues to serve as an office building for 20th Century Studios, while also drawing fans of Die Hard. The 30th anniversary of the film in 2018 was marked with a public screening outside the skyscraper. Bruce Willis visited the building in 2022, even going up to the roof where his character famously faced numerous life-threatening situations.

The building has also appeared in other films, including Airheads (1994), Fight Club (1999), and the 2024 Marvel movie Deadpool & Wolverine, as noted by director Shawn Levy.

Where to Watch Die Hard

The movie is available for streaming on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Peacock.

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• Is “Die Hard”’s Nakatomi Plaza Real? Inside the sky-high setting of the holiday classic