Original ‘Home Alone’ Director Calls Disney+ Reboot a ‘Waste of Time’

in Movies

Home Alone Disney+

Credit: Disney

Home Alone is now on Disney+, and as its millions of subscribers settle in to watch this Christmas Classic, plans continue to move ahead on the streaming service’s reboot.

But the original Home Alone director, Chris Columbus, is not at all excited about the remake, going so far as to bluntly call the project “a waste of time.”

“What’s the point?” he asked in an interview with Insider. “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? 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.”

Home Alone Movie Poster
Credit: 20th Century Fox

“I can even be accused of it myself, with Home Alone 2,” Columbus continued. “That movie is basically a remake of the first Home Alone. Does it need to exist? Yes, because some of those stunts make me laugh really hard, but I just don’t believe it should be done…Listen, have fun. I just feel, do something new. Life is short.”

Columbus also mentioned that he was never consulted by Disney about the project. In fact, he will not be involved in the remake at all.

Disney Home Alone show

“No, nobody got in touch with me about it, and it’s a waste of time as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

The Walt Disney Company acquired the rights to Home Alone through the acquisition merger with 20th Century Fox, now called 20th Century Studios. Rather than being a complete remake, this reboot will feature a different kid in a different family and a different storyline. It will not feature Macaulay Caulkin, Joe Pesci, or any of the original cast.

Archie Yates
Credit: Complex.com/Image via Getty/Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan

Currently, the cast includes Archie Yates (JoJo Rabbit), Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Rob Delaney, Ally Maki (Wrecked), and SNL comedians Kenan Thompson and Chris Parnell.

Read More: ‘Home Alone’ Reboot Just Added 3 New Cast Members

Only time will tell if the folks at Disney can prove Columbus wrong and capture that lightning in a bottle once again.

Do you think Disney’s Home Alone remake is going to be any good? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments!

in Movies

View Comment (1)