The first two Home Alone films have become holiday classics since their release in the early '90s and Disney is capitalizing on nostalgia for the franchise with a reboot of the original. Now, Chris Columbus, who directed the first two entries in the film series, has explained why he believes the Disney Plus reboot is unnecessary.
Development on the Disney reboot of Home Alone began after the company gained the rights to the franchise in its acquisition of 20th Century Fox. While the Columbus films centered on a young boy named Kevin McCallister and his efforts to thwart a pair of burglars with a series of elaborate traps, the reboot appears to be flipping the script by following a married couple who face off against a child named Max who has stolen from them. Production on the reboot began in March 2020 in Montreal, Canada, with director Dan Mazer at the helm and a cast that includes Rob Delaney, Ellie Kemper, and Jojo Rabbit star Archie Yates.
During an interview with Insider, Columbus confirmed that he was not contacted by anyone from Disney about the new Home Alone film. However, the filmmaker appeared to be uninterested in participating in the reboot and chastised the very concept of remaking classic films. "It's a waste of time as far as I'm concerned. What's the point? I'm a firm believer that you don't remake films that have had the longevity of Home Alone. You're not going to create lightning in a bottle again. It's just not going to happen. So why do it?" Columbus said. "It's like doing a paint-by-numbers version of a Disney animated film — a live-action version of that. What's the point? It's been done. Do your own thing. Even if you fail miserably, at least you have come up with something original."
Before Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, the latter studio had been developing an R-rated reimagining of Home Alone with Ryan Reynolds titled Stoned Alone. The story would center on Reynolds' character missing his plane for a ski trip and later taking on thieves who have broken into his home after spending all of his free time getting high on weed. "God only knows what that will be — a stoner version of Home Alone? Listen, have fun. I just feel, do something new. Life is short," said Columbus of the planned stoner comedy take on Home Alone.
Columbus does note that his criticism of remakes and retreading old material could be lobbed at him for directing Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. While the sequel shifts the location from the Chicago suburbs to New York City, Columbus admits that the film is "basically a remake" of the original.
While the Home Alone reboot is slated to premiere exclusively on Disney+, a specific date has not yet been announced. The debut of the reboot may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced Disney to suspend production on all of its projects in March.
Home Alone (1990) is now available on Disney+.
Source: Insider