Home Alone Director Reveals Where the Franchise Lost Its Magic
Chris Columbus, director of the original Home Alone films, shares his candid thoughts on when the beloved series began to falter, pointing to Home Alone 3 as the turning point and criticizing the sequels' reliance on wirework and lack of authenticity.
Chris Columbus, the filmmaker behind the first two Home Alone movies, recently opened up about the moment he believes the iconic series started to lose its charm. During a special screening at the Academy Museum, Columbus didn't hold back when discussing the direction the franchise took after his involvement.
Pinpointing the Downfall
Columbus identified the third installment as the point where things began to unravel. He explained that the quality of the sequels took a nosedive starting with Home Alone 3, which he sees as the least problematic among the later entries, but still a far cry from the originals. He didn't specifically mention the other follow-ups, but his comments seemed to include Home Alone 4, Home Alone: The Holiday Heist, and Home Sweet Home Alone.
"It 's been revisited with really bad sequels," Columbus said. "Sorry to insult anybody, but they've completely fucked it up. It started with Home Alone 3 and then it just went downhill from there; Home Alone 3 is sort of the best of the bunch of the bad movies."
Authenticity Lost in Translation
For Columbus, a major issue with the later films is their heavy use of wirework. He feels that the original movies' slapstick and physical comedy had a genuine, believable quality that was lost when the sequels relied on special effects. According to him, this shift gave the stunts a fake, less impactful feel, robbing the series of its signature humor and heart.
Legacy Sequel Hopes
Meanwhile, Macaulay Culkin, who played Kevin McCallister, once pitched his own idea for a legacy sequel. He imagined a story where Kevin, now a father, finds himself locked out by his own son, who sets up traps for him. Culkin described the scenario during a stop on his A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin tour, suggesting a fresh twist on the classic formula.
Looking ahead, Culkin is set to appear in the second season of Fallout. Fans eager for more can check out the upcoming release schedule and timeline for the new season.