Home Alone Director Destroys Reboot Idea: "It's a Mistake"
If you were hoping for a Home Alone reboot that didn't make you cringe, you're out of luck — because the guy who made the original wants no part of it.
Director Chris Columbus, who gave us the 1990 Christmas classic, made it crystal clear in an interview with Entertainment Tonight:
"I think Home Alone really exists as... this very special moment, and you can't really recapture that. 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."
This comes just in time for the film's 35th anniversary, and Columbus doesn't sound even remotely tempted by the idea of a revival.
The Original Still Reigns
Home Alone wasn't just a hit — it was a cultural juggernaut. With Macaulay Culkin as eight-year-old Kevin McCallister defending his home from dimwitted burglars Harry and Marv, it became a massive box office success and an instant holiday staple.
Columbus returned for 1992's Home Alone 2: Lost in New York — another major hit — but after that, the franchise started spiraling. A string of sequels with new casts, different directors, and straight-to-TV energy failed to capture even a fraction of the original magic.
Then came Disney's 2021 reboot, Home Sweet Home Alone. It went straight to Disney+, starred Jojo Rabbit's Archie Yates, and landed a brutal 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. Columbus doesn't mention it by name, but he didn't have to.
Hollywood Can't Stop Rebooting
Columbus's comments put him in a growing club of creators who want their legacies left alone. Shaun of the Dead's Simon Pegg recently said a sequel would be "best left alone," and even Danny Boyle walked away from James Bond with a flat "that ship has sailed."
And yet, the reboot train keeps barreling forward. The Goonies, Gremlins, and even Harry Potter — which Columbus also directed — are all getting dragged back out of storage for reboots or remakes. Studios love nostalgia. Filmmakers? Not always.
Some Reboots Work — But This Isn't One of Them
To be fair, not every revival bombs. Freaky Friday (the 2024 sequel to the 2003 remake) brought back Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, and actually landed well — 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, with strong audience scores.
But Home Alone is different. For Columbus, the original captured lightning in a bottle — a moment, a tone, a cast, and a vibe that can't be replicated with updated tech and a fresh coat of Disney+ polish.
So if you were hoping for Kevin McCallister's return, maybe just rewatch the original. Or Home Alone 2, if you're feeling generous. Just don't ask Chris Columbus to sign off on anything else — he's already told you it's a mistake.