170 Fun Facts About Action Movie

Die Hard (1988) is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp. What is it called?

The Detective was Thorp's earlier book, filmed with Frank Sinatra; 58 Minutes became Die Hard 2. Alan Rickman made his screen debut as Hans Gruber in his early forties.

Which actor made his screen debut, in his early forties, as Die Hard's villain Hans Gruber?

He was a stage actor known for Les Liaisons Dangereuses; the building, Nakatomi Plaza, is really Fox Plaza in Century City.

In Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), who plays the shape-shifting, liquid-metal T-1000?

At $94-102 million it was the most expensive film ever made at the time and won four Oscars, including visual effects and makeup.

Which martial-arts star was originally cast as the creature in Predator (1987)?

The plan was an agile, ninja-like hunter; the suit was unworkable, and Hall, fresh from playing the sasquatch in Harry and the Hendersons, took over.

How many people does John Rambo kill in First Blood (1982)?

The film reworked David Morrell's far bloodier novel so that Deputy Galt's death, a fall from a helicopter, is the only fatality; the sequels made up for it.

In Speed (1994), the bus is rigged to explode if its speed drops below what?

Dennis Hopper's ex-cop bomber sets the trap; the film was cinematographer Jan de Bont's directorial debut and made Sandra Bullock a star.

In Point Break (1991), the bank-robbing surfers wear rubber masks of what?

Reagan, Carter, Nixon and LBJ; Kathryn Bigelow directed, with Patrick Swayze as Bodhi and Keanu Reeves as FBI agent Johnny Utah.

In The Rock (1996), Connery and Cage break into which former prison to stop rogue Marines with VX gas?

Michael Bay directed; Connery's character is the only man ever to have escaped the island, which is why the FBI needs him.

In Face/Off (1997), an FBI agent and a terrorist swap faces. Who directed it?

John Travolta and Nicolas Cage each play both men; it was the Hong Kong director's biggest Hollywood hit.

In Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), Tom Cruise scales the outside of which building?

He was attached by cables that ILM erased digitally; the film was Pixar veteran Brad Bird's live-action debut.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) was shot mainly in which country's desert?

Rain had greened the Australian outback, so George Miller moved production; the film won six Oscars, more than any other that year.

How many Academy Awards did Mad Max: Fury Road win?

Editing, production design, costume, makeup, sound editing and sound mixing; Charlize Theron's Furiosa was the breakout.

What is the name of the beagle puppy whose killing brings John Wick out of retirement in the 2014 film?

She was a final gift from his late wife; director Chad Stahelski had been Keanu Reeves's stunt double on The Matrix.

The Matrix (1999) popularised which slow-motion visual effect?

The camera appears to move at normal speed through a frozen scene; the film won four Oscars including visual effects and editing.

In The Matrix, Morpheus offers Neo a choice of two colours. Which does he take?

Red uncovers the truth, blue returns him to his ordinary life; the Wachowskis wrote and directed.

George Lucas named Indiana Jones after what?

The character was originally 'Indiana Smith'; Tom Selleck was the first choice but CBS would not release him from Magnum, P.I.

Which TV star was first choice for Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark but was tied to his series contract?

CBS refused to release him from Magnum, P.I.; a writers' strike then delayed the show, so he could have done both after all.

The Bourne Identity (2002) opens with Jason Bourne being pulled from which sea by fishermen?

He has two bullets in his back and no memory; Robert Ludlum's 1980 novel and Doug Liman's film gave us the CIA's Treadstone programme.

RoboCop (1987) is set in a crime-ridden near-future version of which city?

Paul Verhoeven's satire pits Peter Weller's cyborg cop against the megacorporation OCP and its malfunctioning ED-209 robot.

In Aliens (1986), how long has Ripley been drifting in stasis when she is found?

James Cameron wrote and directed; Sigourney Weaver's Best Actress nomination was rare recognition for a science-fiction performance.

Heat (1995) was promoted around the first on-screen scenes together of which two actors?

Both were in The Godfather Part II but never shared a frame; Michael Mann shot their diner scene with minimal rehearsal.

Enter the Dragon premiered in Hong Kong on 26 July 1973, how long after Bruce Lee's death?

He died on 20 July at 32; the film was added to the US National Film Registry in 2004.

In Taken (2008), Liam Neeson's ex-CIA officer Bryan Mills hunts kidnappers in which city?

Luc Besson co-wrote it and Pierre Morel directed; the phone speech to the kidnappers became an internet meme.

In Casino Royale (2006), what game does Bond play against Le Chiffre?

Fleming's novel used baccarat; the switch reflected the poker boom. Mads Mikkelsen played Le Chiffre and Eva Green Vesper Lynd.

Which actor died of a heart attack during the making of Gladiator (2000)?

He played the trainer Proximo; his remaining scenes were completed with a body double and digital effects. The film won Best Picture and Best Actor.

Who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing US Marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive (1993)?

The film, based on the 1960s TV series, was nominated for Best Picture; Ford's Dr. Kimble jumps from a dam spillway to escape him.

Top Gun (1986), the year's highest-grossing film worldwide, won an Academy Award for which song?

Berlin's ballad won both the Oscar and the Golden Globe; a popular claim held that Navy aviator recruitment jumped 500 percent.

Who wrote Lethal Weapon (1987)?

Black sold the script at 23 and became the highest-paid screenwriter in Hollywood; Richard Donner directed all four films.

In Independence Day (1996), how do the humans finally defeat the alien mothership?

Jeff Goldblum uploads it from a refurbished alien fighter; the film was 1996's highest grosser and won the visual-effects Oscar.

In John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981), Manhattan has become what?

Set in the far-off year of 1997, it gives Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken 24 hours to rescue the President.

What injury did Jackie Chan suffer sliding down a light-covered pole in Police Story (1985)?

The lights had heated the pole; the film also opens with a car chase straight through a shantytown.

The Raid (2011), in which police fight up a drug lord's tower block, showcases which martial art?

Welsh director Gareth Evans made it in Indonesia with Iko Uwais; the US title was The Raid: Redemption.

At the climax of Con Air (1997), the hijacked prison plane crash-lands where?

Its wing clips the Hard Rock Hotel's giant Stratocaster on the way down; John Malkovich's Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom leads the convicts.

In Commando (1985), which future TV star plays John Matrix's kidnapped daughter?

Milano was 12 and about to become famous on Who's the Boss?; Vernon Wells's Bennett is the chain-mail-clad villain.

Total Recall (1990) is based on a short story by which author?

'We Can Remember It for You Wholesale' (1966) became Paul Verhoeven's Mars-set film, which won an Oscar for visual effects.

In Bloodsport (1988), Frank Dux competes in which underground Hong Kong tournament?

Marketed as a true story, it was undermined when co-writer Sheldon Lettich said the real Dux had invented both his record and the tournament.

In Rush Hour (1998), Chris Tucker's detective, partnered with Jackie Chan's Lee, is from which police force?

Brett Ratner directed; the film grossed $245 million and spawned two sequels.

The Bride's yellow tracksuit in Kill Bill: Volume 1 pays homage to Bruce Lee in which film?

The House of Blue Leaves fight against the Crazy 88 took eight weeks to shoot, six over schedule.

Which magazine's 1998 article about New York street racing inspired The Fast and the Furious (2001)?

Ken Li's 'Racer X' became a franchise worth billions; Rob Cohen directed the first film with Paul Walker and Vin Diesel.

Bad Boys (1995) was originally envisioned as a vehicle for which comedy duo?

Producers Simpson and Bruckheimer switched to Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, and a franchise was born.

Léon: The Professional (1994) marked the feature film debut of which actress, as 12-year-old Mathilda?

Luc Besson wrote and directed; Jean Reno's hitman tends a houseplant that Mathilda finally plants to 'give it roots'.

Skyfall (2012), released for the Bond series' 50th anniversary, was the first Bond film to do what?

Sam Mendes directed, Javier Bardem played Raoul Silva and Judi Dench's M dies in Bond's arms.

Zack Snyder's 300 (2006) was filmed mostly using what technique?

The aim was to replicate the look of Frank Miller's comic panels; Gerard Butler plays King Leonidas.

In Air Force One (1997), which actor plays the Russian terrorist leader fighting Harrison Ford's president?

Wolfgang Petersen directed; screenwriter Andrew Marlowe thought 'Get off my plane!' was cheesy until Ford delivered it.

How much was stuntman Simon Crane paid for Cliffhanger's record aerial plane-to-plane transfer at 15,000 feet?

Renny Harlin shot most of the film in the Italian Dolomites standing in for the Rockies, with Sylvester Stallone as a mountain climber.

Which actor made his film debut in Zack Snyder's 300?

Butler played King Leonidas and Santoro played Xerxes.

Which Spartan narrates 300 as an unreliable voice-over?

His narration introduces the film's fantastical inaccuracies.

Which director made Air Force One?

He had earlier made Das Boot and In the Line of Fire.

At which British studio was Aliens shot amid conflicts between Cameron and the local crew?

Composer James Horner was left little time to record the score.

Which 2001 role established Angelina Jolie as an action leading lady?

Salt and Wanted came later in the decade.

What was Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding nickname?

He won Mr. Olympia seven times.

Which 1982 film was Schwarzenegger's Hollywood breakthrough?

Its sequel Conan the Destroyer followed in 1984.

Bad Boys (1995) was the feature directorial debut of which director?

He went on to make The Rock and Armageddon.

Which actor planned a Black Panther film as early as 1992?

Chadwick Boseman eventually debuted the role in Captain America: Civil War.

Which Bloodsport co-screenwriter said Frank Dux fabricated his fight record and the Kumite?

Dux himself served as technical advisor on the film.

Which hybrid martial arts philosophy did Bruce Lee found?

He trained in Wing Chun under Ip Man.

In which city was Bruce Lee born?

He was raised in Hong Kong and moved to Seattle in 1959.

Bruce Willis first found fame on which TV comedy-drama?

He played John McClane in Die Hard from 1988 to 2013.

Bruce Willis retired in 2022 due to what condition?

He was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023.

Bullitt (1968) is set in which city, famous for its car chase?

Steve McQueen plays detective Frank Bullitt.

Who plays the terrorism financier Le Chiffre in Casino Royale?

The poker game is set in Montenegro.

Chad Stahelski was Keanu Reeves's key stunt double on which 1999 film before directing him?

He also doubled Brandon Lee on The Crow.

Charlize Theron won an Oscar for playing serial killer Aileen Wuornos in which film?

She was the first South African to win an acting Oscar.

Con Air was the feature directorial debut of which director?

He later directed The Expendables 2.

In Crank, what must Chev Chelios do to stay alive after being poisoned?

Jason Statham plays the LA-based British assassin.

What is the name of the treasured sword stolen in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?

The film is based on Wang Dulu's Crane-Iron novel series.

What is the name of Tom Cruise's NASCAR rookie in Days of Thunder?

Robert Duvall plays crew chief Harry Hogge.

How much was Bruce Willis paid for Die Hard, a deal seen as a poor investment at the time?

Schwarzenegger and Stallone had turned down the role.

Die Hard was filmed almost entirely in and around which Los Angeles building?

It stood in for Nakatomi Plaza.

Dirty Harry drew on which real-life Bay Area criminal case?

Callahan hunts a sniper called Scorpio.

Dr. No is set mainly on which island, where Bond investigates a missing agent?

Dr. No plans to disrupt a launch from Cape Canaveral.

Who plays Judge Dredd in the 2012 film Dredd?

Alex Garland wrote and produced it.

Dwayne Johnson played college football as a defensive tackle for which university?

He was on the 1991 national championship team.

Edge of Tomorrow is a loose adaptation of which Japanese light novel?

Tom Cruise's Major Cage relives an alien invasion in a time loop.

Escape from New York was filmed mainly in which US city standing in for Manhattan?

Its budget was about $6 million.

In which city is Chris Hemsworth's mercenary sent to rescue a drug lord's son in Extraction?

It became Netflix's most-watched original film at the time.

Which two actors swap faces in Face/Off?

It was John Woo's first American film with major creative control.

Fast Five deliberately shifted the franchise from street racing toward what?

It featured only one car race.

First Blood was the first Hollywood blockbuster released in which country, in 1985?

It held the record for most tickets sold for an American film there until 2018.

Who plays Colonel Sam Trautman, Rambo's mentor, in First Blood?

Brian Dennehy plays Sheriff Teasle.

Which director, known for horror, was announced to direct Furious 7?

Paul Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody stood in after his death.

George Miller trained in which profession before making Mad Max?

He worked as a physician for several years.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol was the live-action directing debut of which animation director?

He replaced J. J. Abrams, who stayed on as producer.

GoldenEye was the first Bond film not to use story elements from which source?

Judi Dench debuted as M and Brosnan as Bond in a film written by Michael France.

How long was the hiatus in the Bond series before GoldenEye, caused by legal disputes?

Timothy Dalton's contract expired during the gap.

Which toy became the biggest-selling toy of 1964 thanks to Goldfinger?

Goldfinger was the first Bond film to take over $100 million.

Hard Boiled was John Woo's final film in Hong Kong before Hollywood; who plays Inspector 'Tequila'?

Woo made it in response to criticism that his films romanticized criminals.

Hard Target is based on which 1924 short story?

Universal sent Sam Raimi to oversee John Woo's first American film.

What is unusual about how Hardcore Henry was shot?

It was released in 2016 by STX Entertainment.

Which film earned Harrison Ford his sole Oscar nomination for Best Actor?

He played a detective hiding among the Amish.

Heat's script was first used for which 1989 TV film by the same writer-director?

He wrote the original script in 1979.

Who convinced Miramax to finally release Zhang Yimou's Hero in US theaters in 2004?

It became the first Chinese-language film to top the US box office.

Which film was Roland Emmerich promoting when he conceived Independence Day?

He was answering a question about alien life.

Who plays Ip Man in the 2008 film, with fight choreography by Sammo Hung?

Ip Man was Bruce Lee's Wing Chun teacher.

Which 1978 film was Jackie Chan's breakthrough?

Drunken Master followed the same year.

In which sport was Jason Statham a member of Great Britain's national team?

He competed for England at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

Which Guy Ritchie film gave Jason Statham his start, inspired by his market-stall past?

Snatch followed in 2000.

Who wrote John Wick's screenplay?

He also wrote Nobody.

Which studio bought John Wick's distribution rights just two months before release?

Executives had been dismissive of an action film by first-time directors.

John Woo is regarded as a pioneer of which subgenre nicknamed 'gun fu'?

He worked with Chow Yun-fat on five Hong Kong action films.

In which city was Keanu Reeves born?

He was raised in Toronto.

Kickboxer (1989) is regarded as the first movie to bring which martial art to a global audience?

Van Damme's Kurt Sloane fights champion Tong Po in Thailand.

Why was Kill Bill split into two volumes?

The split meant Tarantino did not have to cut scenes.

Who plays eco-terrorist Richmond Valentine in Kingsman: The Secret Service?

Taron Egerton plays recruit Eggsy.

Who directed Lethal Weapon (1987)?

He shaped Shane Black's script with gallows humor.

Live and Let Die was the first Bond film to star which actor as 007?

It was released during the blaxploitation era.

Which corrupt DEA agent, played by Gary Oldman, murders Mathilda's family in Leon?

Jean Reno's Leon calls himself a 'cleaner'.

Mad Max (1979) was filmed on a budget of roughly how much?

It set a Guinness record as the most profitable film.

Under what title was Mad Max 2 released in the United States?

It was filmed around Broken Hill in New South Wales.

In what year did George Miller first come up with the idea for Mad Max: Fury Road?

The film spent years in development hell before its 2015 release.

Man on Fire (2004) moved its setting from Naples to where?

Denzel Washington plays bodyguard John Creasy.

Under what surname was Yeoh Choo Kheng credited in her early Hong Kong films?

She performed her own stunts in Hong Kong action films.

Which Bond film gave Michelle Yeoh international recognition in 1997?

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon followed in 2000.

Who directed the first Mission: Impossible film in 1996?

It was the inaugural project of Cruise/Wagner Productions.

What is the name of the genetically modified disease in Mission: Impossible 2?

Dougray Scott plays rogue agent Sean Ambrose.

Which director left No Time to Die in 2018 over creative differences before Cary Fukunaga took over?

Boyle had planned to co-write with John Hodge.

Who plays the mild-mannered family man turned assassin in Nobody (2021)?

It was written by John Wick's Derek Kolstad.

In Ong-Bak, Tony Jaa's character travels to Bangkok to recover what?

Ting is a Buddhist monk trainee and Muay Thai specialist.

Who directed Point Break (1991)?

She developed the script with her then-husband James Cameron.

What is Keanu Reeves's FBI rookie's former athletic career in Point Break?

His name is Johnny Utah.

What was Predator's working title when it was written in 1984?

Stan Winston devised the creature effects.

Which future Minnesota governor appears in Predator?

Schwarzenegger himself later governed California.

Who suggested the Ark of the Covenant as the goal of Raiders of the Lost Ark?

Kasdan was hired to fill in the narrative gaps between set pieces.

Rambo (2008) is dedicated to the memory of which actor?

He played Colonel Trautman and died in 2003.

Rambo III depicts events during which conflict?

It was the most expensive film ever made at the time.

On what film's set did Edward Neumeier conceive RoboCop?

Verhoeven dismissed the script twice before his wife convinced him.

How quickly did Stallone write the screenplay for Rocky?

He refused to let it be made without him in the lead.

Who plays the villain Raoul Silva in Skyfall?

Sam Mendes directed.

Where did Skyfall premiere on 23 October 2012?

Development had paused in 2010 during MGM's bankruptcy.

Speed was the feature directorial debut of which cinematographer-turned-director?

It won the Oscar for Best Sound.

Steven Seagal's 1988 debut Above the Law is regarded as the first American film to feature which martial art?

He ran an aikido dojo in Japan before acting.

In Sudden Death, Van Damme's fire marshal battles extortionists during which sporting event?

It was set at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena.

Who wrote Taken with Robert Mark Kamen?

Pierre Morel directed.

Kim and Amanda are kidnapped in Taken by human traffickers of which nationality?

Taken grossed $226 million on a $25 million budget.

Who plays Gabriel Cash opposite Stallone's Raymond Tango in Tango & Cash?

Multiple directors worked on the troubled production.

Which role was Schwarzenegger originally approached to play in The Terminator?

He agreed to play the title character after befriending Cameron.

James Cameron devised The Terminator's premise from what?

It happened during the release of Piranha II: The Spawning.

Under what title was the 2012 Joss Whedon superhero team-up released in the UK and Ireland?

Joss Whedon wrote and directed it.

Which actor did Mark Ruffalo replace as Bruce Banner for The Avengers?

Norton had played the role in 2008's The Incredible Hulk.

Which director made The Bourne Ultimatum?

It won three Academy Awards.

The Dark Knight was the first major motion picture to be filmed with what?

Its budget was $185 million.

In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington's Robert McCall protects a teenager from which criminal group?

McCall works at a big-box home improvement store in Boston.

What is the title of the eleventh and final film in the Vin Diesel street-racing franchise?

The franchise is Universal's biggest.

How many Academy Awards did The French Connection win?

It won Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Fugitive TV series and film were loosely inspired by which real trial?

Dr. Richard Kimble is framed for murdering his wife.

How many weeks did The Fugitive spend as the number-one film in the US?

It grossed nearly $368 million worldwide.

John Woo called The Killer a tribute to which two directors?

Its plot was influenced by Le Samourai and Mean Streets.

Which 1996 Wachowski film convinced Warner Bros. to greenlight their 1999 sci-fi hit?

The Matrix was influenced by anime and Hong Kong wire fu.

Which William Gibson cyberpunk novel influenced the Wachowskis' 1999 sci-fi film?

Plato's cave was another influence.

Why was the subtitle 'Redemption' added to The Raid in the United States?

Mike Shinoda scored the American version.

The Raid was written and directed by a filmmaker from which country?

Gareth Evans made it in Jakarta with Iko Uwais.

The Rock was dedicated to the memory of which producer, who died five months before its release?

It was nominated for Best Sound at the Oscars.

Under which pseudonym did Stephen King write The Running Man?

Christopher Reeve was originally slated to star.

What are Frank Martin's three rules in The Transporter?

Jason Statham plays the mercenary driver in southern France.

Top Gun was inspired by an article in which magazine?

Ehud Yonay wrote 'Top Guns' three years before the film.

Top Gun: Maverick was dedicated to the memory of which director?

He had directed the original and died in 2012.

Which actor's final film role was in Top Gun: Maverick?

He returned as Iceman.

How many script drafts did Total Recall go through during its 16 years in development hell?

Seven different directors were attached.

True Lies is based on which 1991 French comedy?

It was the first film to cost $100 million.

On which battleship does Under Siege take place?

Seagal plays Navy SEAL cook Casey Ryback.

In Wanted, Wesley Gibson joins which secret society of assassins?

It is loosely based on Mark Millar's comic miniseries.

Wonder Woman (2017) is set during which war?

Diana believes the conflict is orchestrated by Ares.

Yuen Woo-ping's choreography on which 1994 film caught the Wachowskis' attention?

He directed Jackie Chan's breakthrough Snake in the Eagle's Shadow.

How many Oscars did Inception win at the 83rd Academy Awards?

Its wins were all technical: cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects; it lost Best Picture and Original Screenplay.

In Demolition Man (1993), in what year do John Spartan and Simon Phoenix wake from cryogenic freezing?

Both were frozen in 1996; the film was the directorial debut of Marco Brambilla and featured Sandra Bullock before her breakout in Speed.

Although set in New York, Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx (1995) was actually shot in which city?

New Line Cinema's dubbed, re-edited version opened in the US in February 1996 and gave Chan his North American breakthrough.

Who composed the score for the 2002 wuxia epic Hero, starring Jet Li?

Christopher Doyle was the cinematographer; the film earned a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination.

Who directed, produced, co-wrote and starred in the 2004 martial arts comedy Kung Fu Hustle?

Yuen Woo-ping supervised the fight choreography; the film was developed after the success of Chow's Shaolin Soccer and shot in Shanghai.

Which prize did Park Chan-wook's Oldboy win at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival?

The jury president that year was a famous American director who championed it; the film loosely adapts a Japanese manga about a man imprisoned for 15 years without explanation.

Atomic Blonde (2017) is based on which 2012 graphic novel?

Antony Johnston and Sam Hart wrote it; the film was David Leitch's first solo credit as a feature director, with Charlize Theron also co-producing.