‘Home Alone’ Director Chris Columbus: Disney+ Reboot is a “Waste of Time”

Disney+ may be forging ahead with its Home Alone reboot, but the original film’s director Chris Columbus is definitely not giving the project his blessing. In a new interview with Insider, Columbus makes it clear that he believes the Home Alone Disney revival is “a waste of time,” as the 1990 film still stands on its own and resonates with viewers. Harsh, dude.

Chris Columbus’ approval or not, the Home Alone 2020 remake is most certainly happening. Here’s what we know about Home Alone on Disney+, a film that Chris Columbus will likely not be watching!

WHAT DID CHRIS COLUMBUS SAY ABOUT THE DISNEY PLUS HOME ALONE  REBOOT?

Before we jump into the new stuff, let’s tackle Chris Columbus’ very strong feelings about the Home Alone reboot on Disney+. When asked about his involvement with the revival, Columbus told Insider that “nobody got in touch with [him] about it” before it was announced, but if they had, he would have told them it was a fruitless effort. “What’s the point? I’m a firm believer that you don’t remake films that have had the longevity of Home Alone,” he said. “You’re not going to create lightning in a bottle again. It’s just not going to happen.”

CHRIS COLUMBUS THROWS SHADE AT HOME ALONE ON DISNEY PLUS — AND HIMSELF

Columbus went on to say that rebooting Home Alone is “like doing a paint-by-numbers version of a Disney animated film — a live-action version of that,” which seems like a pretty clear condemnation of Disney’s recent push into reviving classic content. “What’s the point? It’s been done. Do your own thing,” he said. “Even if you fail miserably, at least you have come up with something original.”

However, Columbus is at least self-aware about his own complicity, at least when it comes to Home Alone. “I can even be accused of it myself, with Home Alone 2. That movie is basically a remake of the first Home Alone,” he told Insider. “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.”

HOME ALONE 2020: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE HOME ALONE REBOOT?

Despite Columbus’ protestations, it seems that the Disney+ Home Alone train has already left the station. Former Disney CEO Bob Iger first floated the idea during a company earnings call in August 2019, and by December of that year, the streamer had begun casting the film (more on that below!) and tapped Dan Mazer (Dirty Grandpa, Who Is America?) to direct. Home Alone began filming in early 2020, but production was shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in mid-March.

In the months since, additional details about the Home Alone reboot have been few and far between, but Deadline reports that the film is believe to follow a young boy (Archie Yates) who wages war against an adult couple (Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney) over a stole figurine.

HOME ALONE DISNEY CAST: ELLIE KEMPER, ROB DELANEY, AND MORE

There’s no shortage of top talent in Disney+’s Home Alone movie. In addition to Archie Yates, Ellie Kemper, and Rob Delaney, the updated Home Alone stars Kenan Thompson, Chris Parnell, Ally Maki, Aisling Bea, Pete Holmes, Timothy Simons, and Mikey Day, who co-wrote the script with Streeter Seidell.

Where to stream Home Alone