Chris Columbus and Macaulay Culkin discuss Home Alone sequel ideas

At 35 years old, this festive season, Home Alone and it’s sequel, Home Alone 3 (which is 33 years old), is held by families across the world as one of the great Christmas movies.

And, while we don’t talk about its four sequels – Disney’s Home Sweet Home Alone being the most recent in 2021 – there’s no denying that there’s an ongoing attempt to recapture the magic, even though they have all failed miserably.

But that doesn’t mean a good sequel might not still be out there, waiting to be made. If it were made by original director Chris Columbus with Macaulay Culkin returning, it would have a healthy chance.

At a recent 35th anniversary screening and Q&A, Columbus and Culkin discussed a possible sequel and how it might look.

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WATCH: Macaulay Culkin is back as Kevin McAllister and he’s Home Alone again in new ad

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First up, Culkin saw his character Kevin as “either a widower or a divorcee”.

He goes on: “I’m working really hard, and I’m not really paying enough attention and the kid is kind of getting miffed at me, and then I get locked out. [Kevin’s son] won’t let me in… and he’s the one setting traps for me.”

This is a fun idea, with Kevin being the prey rather than the hunter this time out, however, Columbus has a better idea and he was only too happy to discuss it.

“Obviously, the only way to do a Home Alone sequel is you need Mac, you need Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern,” he said, with Pesci and Stern playing the villainous (but oddly lovable) Harry and Marv in the first two movies, who end up being foiled by Kevin (twice!) and then being put away for a very long time.

“I always thought,” Columbus goes on, “that those two guys would probably have been in prison for about 30 years and they’re pretty pissed off with you, so I see it as some sort of revenge movie.” 

Referring back to Culkin’s pitch, Columbus thought there was something there for the character for sure: “I like the idea that maybe Kevin’s older, he’s a widower or something like that. He’s raising his kid, and they don’t really get along; he’s working all the time.”

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Tidbit:

Culking has played Kevin a few times over the years in various ways, with his latest being just this Christmas. You can watch it here:

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Picking up the thread, Culkin says: “I think there is one of two ways you could do it. One is he actually leaves the kid behind by mistake, so he calls up his mom like, ‘I’m so sorry! I get it now!’ Or, also, I leave him behind on purpose, like, ‘Oh, that made me the man I am today.’ And then he locks me out of the house and he’s setting up traps and things like that. I see them coming, because I’m the expert. [That would] explain why I don’t call the cops or a locksmith. I’m embarrassed, my kid is beating me… the house would be a metaphor for getting back the kid’s heart.”

However, before we get too excited, Columbus is pretty clear that he doesn’t believe another Home Alone should happen because the original two are so unique: “I think ‘Home Alone’ really exists as, not at this timepiece, but it was 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.”

I love Home Alone and Home Alone 2 and even though my kids are grown now, I still just this Christmas had a fun time watching them with my 16-year-old daughter (who believes the second movie is superior and on some days I agree) but I would be 100% on board for Columbus, Culkin, Pesci and Stern to come back and do it all one more time.

But…

If it doesn’t happen, it’s good to know that we still have those two movies there and the wet/sticky bandits are still snuggled up in prison, where they belong.

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Home Alone director finally confirms long-running fan-theory about Kevin’s parents

Source: Variety,