Die Hard ‘Die Hard’ Fan Draws Jersey Devil Deal

Yippee-ki-yay, Hollywood! You may recall a struggling screenwriter recently had the brilliant idea of pitching Bruce Willis an idea for a Die Hard sequel by taking out a full-page ad in The Hollywood Reporter. Unfortunately, Eric D. Wilkinson won’t get to enjoy any sweet, sweet John McClane money anytime soon, but his bold move has landed him a Hollywood deal. Producer Avi Lerner (The Expendables) asked Wilkinson to contact him after he saw the ad, asking to see what else he had to offer. Now Wilkinson and his writing partner, Richard Schenkman, have signed a deal with Lerner to write a script about the Jersey Devil: not the hockey team, but the legendary flying monster which has terrified New Jersey residents for decades.

“The one thing I hope the ad demonstrated was that I’m a creative person with good ideas that resonate with people,” Wilkinson tells the Guardian. “Certainly getting this call, leading to this result, was the second-best scenario.” Die Hard 6, meanwhile, is still going forward, and will possibly feature a young John McClane.