Chris Columbus caught lightning in a bottle with the Home Alone franchise. Two movies, two years apart, grossing nearly a billion dollars in their combine theatrical runs. They’re instant holiday classics that hold up nearly 40 years later. Subsequently, the movies success catapulted young Macaulay Culkin into superstardom. However, with any rise comes a fall. The pitfalls of being a child actor are numerous. Having come out the other side, Culkin’s stepped into a few prominent roles. Currently in talks with Disney, he looks to turn back the clock and make a holiday duo into a trilogy.
20th Century Studios
Staying Active
Culkin is fresh off his recent role as a prominent member of ‘Caesar’s’ Legion, in Amazon MGM’s Fallout season 2. Now he’s looking to return as Kevin McCallister for a third project in ‘his’ Home Alone universe. Since Macaulay’s departure from the franchise, four attempts have been made to tap into the magic of the Chris Columbus classics. Each were met with catastrophic failure. The final attempt from Disney in 2021 was no exception. Each iteration lacked key elements and new leads failed to match the gravitas of Culkin’s McCallister. All the while half baked villains were introduced who had no business filling the shoes of the Wet/Sticky Bandits, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern).
20th Century Fox
The Pitch
Though details are slim, in 2025 Culkin spoke on a third film. Last November, during a stop on his, A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin tour, he presented an idea he had. The actor expressed that he saw a modern interpretation of Kevin as “a widower or a divorcee.” He would be raising a child on his own, with a busy work schedule and economic strain damaging their relationship. In an ultimate reversal of roles, Kevin, would find himself locked out of his home with a disgruntled child pulling every trick out of his old playbook to remain “Home Alone.”
A Flickering Light
It’s not fully confirmed that talks with Disney center around this specific plot, but an insider source at People magazine claims the studio “Loved Macaulay’s idea.” Though negotiations are in their “early stages” the project has an “almost green light from Disney.”
Nerdbot will keep readers up to date with future developments in the Home Alone franchise.
