‘Home Alone’ Director Says a Reboot Is a ‘Mistake’ and the Movies ‘Should Be Left Alone’: ‘You Can’t Really Recapture’ Them

As the original “Home Alone” movie gears up to celebrate its 35th anniversary this November, director Chris Columbus is speaking out against remaking or rebooting his classic Christmas comedy. Chatting with Entertainment Tonight, Columbus said a “Home Alone” reboot would be a big mistake. The 1990 classic starred Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an 8-year old boy who must fend off a pair of robbers when his family accidentally leaves him home during Christmas vacation.

“I think ‘Home Alone’ really exists as, not at this timepiece, but it was this very special moment, and you can’t really recapture that,” Columbus said. “I think it’s a mistake to try to go back and recapture something we did 35 years ago. I think it should be left alone.”

The 1990 movie was a box office blockbuster with $476 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 1990. Columbus returned for the 1992 sequel “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” which grossed less but still managed to become the year’s third top grosser with $359 million worldwide. The two movies made Culkin a child actor sensation. He recently appeared on “Hot Ones” and explained his reasoning for why the sequel is better than the original.

“I got paid more. I think I own 5% of the net,” Culkin said about the sequel. “And also 15% of the merchandising. So, if you buy a Talkboy I’m like yeah, I’ll take 15% of that. Thank you very much. By the way, buy a Talkboy this Christmas.”

Disney did try to reboot “Home Alone” in 2021 with the Disney+ exclusive movie “Home Sweet Home Alone,” starring young “Jojo Rabbit” breakout Archie Yates opposite Ellie Kemper, Rob Delaney and Kenan Thompson. Dan Mazer (“Dirty Grandpa”) directed the the reboot, which followed the plot of the original by starring Yates as a resourceful kid who gets left behind while his family is in Japan for the holidays. Reviews were not kind to the remake, perhaps proving Columbus’ point right.

Variety called the reboot “sluggish and stale” in its review, adding: “‘Home Sweet Home Alone’ takes everything audiences loved about the Chris Columbus-directed, John Hughes-penned original and turns it around on them… Mean-spirited, downright sloppy and awkwardly unfunny, this rote feature reboot lacks holiday cheer.”