Here's an idea for a Christmas the whole family will remember: renting the McCallister's family home from the 1990 holiday classic, Home Alone. Airbnb is offering the rental of the house in Winnetka, Illinois for a special one-night-only event which will be hosted by Kevin McCallister's older brother, Buzz McCallister (played by Devin D. Ratray).
The home was reportedly sold for $1.585 million back in 2012. Airbnb is offering the special event for charity, raising funds for Chicago's La Rabida Children's Hospital, which is "dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of life for each of its patients with complex conditions, disabilities, and chronic illness." It's good timing for the offer, too, with the Disney Plus reboot Home Sweet Home Alone having just dropped on the streamer last month.
Airbnb announced the offer with a statement supposedly from Buzz saying, "I'm inviting one crew of mischeif makers to let their inner eight-year-olds run free in my childhood home," adding that "we're never too old for holiday hijinks." The lucky winners are set to get an immersive Home Alone experience with the full recreation of the McAllister home featuring: the bed set comforter seen in the film, the classic paint bucket hung from the ceiling, and even the bronze statue that the "Little Nero's" pizza delivery car crashed into. The festive night in question will be December 12th, while booking will be open from 2 pm EST on December 7th. So far, there is no info on pricing and prospective guests will need to arrange their own travel.
Also featured in the listing is the invitation to enjoy the latest movie in the Home Alone franchise, this year's reboot from Disney Plus. The latest movie has not been well-received by everyone, most notably by the original director Chris Columbus before it was even released. "It's a waste of time as far as I'm concerned," he once said. "What's the point?" And many agree, with fans and critics referring to the cynical capitalization on nostalgia at play by Disney and the general unoriginality of rehashing old films that many people feel should just stand alone. The trailer released in October received more than 79,000 dislikes in its first three days and was met with an overwhelmingly negative response online.
However, there are many who have enjoyed the new movie for what it is, a fun festive film that is filled with Home Alone easter eggs including Ratray, who reprises his role as a now-adult Buzz from the original. The movie also has a stellar cast, with Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney as the villains plus Kenan Thompson, Tim Simons, Ally Maki, and Chris Parnell too.
Whether or not the Disney reboot appeals, the magic of the original Home Alone can be captured once more for the successful bidders on the McCallister Airbnb experience. But for those who can't, the video game Hitman 3 is offering some festive downloadable treats for Home Alone fans that will be sure to brighten up their December.
The Home Alone films are currently available to stream on Disney Plus.
Source: Airbnb