Paying a visit to the set, de Souza noticed the tinsel “Merry Christmas” banners, the Santa hats, the holiday cards on employees’ desks, and the giant Christmas tree in the lobby — which would be rigged to collapse when an explosion blows through the windows.

“While we were shooting the movie, producer Joel Silver predicted it would play perennially on television during Christmas,” recalled de Souza, who co-wrote the script with Jeb Stuart, based on a novel by Roderick Thorp.

“Seeing all the Christmas decorations, it hit me how he was probably right,” de Souza said.