Denzel Washington's Forgotten '90s Thriller Was Secretly a Die Hard Spin-Off
In 1991, Denzel Washington starred in Ricochet, a pulpy action thriller with a decent cast, a deeply '90s premise, and one incredibly strange legacy: it was a stealth Die Hard spin-off. No, not officially. But yes, really.
Ricochet was written by Steven E. de Souza — the same guy who co-wrote Die Hard — and featured one very familiar face: Gail Wallens, the TV reporter played by Mary Ellen Trainor. She was last seen reporting from Nakatomi Plaza while Hans Gruber held everyone hostage in Die Hard. And now, here she was again, covering the downfall of Denzel's character in Ricochet. Same role. Same name. Same universe.
That's not the only crossover DNA:
- The film is set in Los Angeles, just like Die Hard.
- Denzel's character ends up wearing a sweat-stained undershirt and firing a Beretta 92, the same gun John McClane uses.
- And yes, the whole thing ends in a chaotic, over-the-top showdown that would've made even Bruce Willis wince.
Despite all that, Ricochet bombed.
The numbers:
- Release date: October 4, 1991
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%
- Box office: underwhelming (exact figure not listed, but it couldn't compete with its obvious rival that year — Cape Fear, which grossed $182 million)
Timing didn't help. Just a few weeks after Ricochet hit theaters, Martin Scorsese released Cape Fear — a prestige revenge thriller that was almost the same story: a vengeful ex-con tormenting a clean-cut lawyer. But with Robert De Niro chewing scenery and awards voters paying attention, Ricochet didn't stand a chance.
To make matters even more bizarre, Ricochet wasn't supposed to be a Denzel movie at all. It started as a spec script by Fred Dekker (RoboCop 3) and was pitched as a possible Dirty Harry sequel. Dekker tried to get Clint Eastwood on board, but was told the script was "too grim." Kurt Russell passed too. Eventually, the project landed with de Souza, who rewrote it with Denzel in mind.
"There were about five seconds when I was going to direct it. I met with Kurt Russell… but I failed to win him over."
– Steven E. de Souza
For Denzel, Ricochet was part of a broader push into the action genre — a stepping stone before Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, and The Equalizer. It's not a film he's known for, but it is the only one that shares a cinematic universe with John McClane and Nakatomi Tower.
No one remembers Ricochet as a classic. But for anyone curious what a Die Hard movie starring Denzel Washington might've looked like — here it is, hiding in plain sight.