Home Alone Director & Macaulay Culkin Say The Sequels Are Bad

by

Chris Columbus, the director of Home Alone, and Macaulay Culkin, the film’s star, recently talked about the popular movie series and shared their thoughts on why the sequels weren’t as successful.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter before a screening at the Academy Museum, director Chris Columbus explained his hesitation to return to the Home Alone series stems from the sequels made after Home Alone 2. He said the quality of the films declined significantly after the second movie, which was set in New York.

Chris Columbus strongly criticized the sequels to Home Alone, bluntly saying they were poorly made. He admitted Home Alone 3 was the least bad of the lot, but that wasn’t saying much. Macaulay Culkin agreed, pointing out that the later films suffered because neither he nor Columbus were involved. You can find Columbus’ full comments below.

The original film was great, but unfortunately, the sequels weren’t very good. I don’t mean to offend anyone, but they really missed the mark. It started going downhill with ‘Home Alone 3,’ and while it’s arguably the best of the later movies, the quality continued to decline after that.

Even though Columbus didn’t think a sequel was a good idea, Macaulay Culkin came up with a concept for another Home Alone movie. He envisioned an adult Kevin McCallister – a widower struggling to raise a child and connect with others.

I was really intrigued by what Macaulay Culkin had to say about a potential ‘Home Alone’ reboot. He jokingly suggested two possible storylines: either his character completely forgets his kid, leading to a heartfelt moment where he finally understands his own mother’s mistake, or – and this is where it gets funny – he deliberately leaves the kid behind just for some peace and quiet! You can find his exact words further down if you’re interested.

I think it would be interesting if Kevin was older, maybe a widower, and a busy parent struggling to connect with his child. It reminds me a bit of the movie Liar Liar. We could go in one of two directions with the story: either he accidentally leaves his child with his mother and then realizes his mistake, or he deliberately leaves him, believing it was a necessary experience for both of them.

Macaulay Culkin joked that his character, Kevin, would eventually be outsmarted by his own child. He imagined the kid locking him out of the house and setting traps, mirroring what Kevin did to the burglars Harry and Marv. Culkin also said Kevin wouldn’t ask for help from the police or a locksmith, because he’d be too embarrassed and proud to admit he was bested.

He started locking me out and setting up traps around the house. I feel like I can anticipate them because I understand what’s going on. I don’t involve the police or a locksmith because I’m ashamed that my child is treating me this way, and I see this situation as my responsibility. I also think the house represents my attempt to reconnect with my child emotionally.

Director Chris Columbus has heard countless ideas for a “Home Alone” sequel over the years. He feels a new movie would only be worth making if Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern all returned, but he doesn’t think that’s likely. He also shared a concept he once considered: Harry and Marv escaping prison years later to get revenge on Kevin, only to find themselves facing his grown-up child.

These characters are filled with resentment and a desire for payback, specifically targeting Macaulay. I had an idea that the story could involve Macaulay having a son around the same age as the original Kevin, and that son would have to deal with these angry men. I doubt Joe Pesci would want to participate, and I haven’t seen Dan Stern in years, so I’m not sure if he’d be interested either.

Columbus believes the charm of the original Home Alone films is impossible to recapture. He feels their success hinged on the actors and the specific era in which the movies were made, stating, “A lot of it is really based on cast; part of it is based on the cast at that age, at that particular time, and I don’t think you can duplicate that.”

Read More

2025-12-25 00:31