Start Screaming, A 'Home Alone' Reboot Is Coming To Disney+

Fans viewed the buyout of 20th Century Fox by Disney in March of 2019 as a bringing together of separated franchises. Star Wars would be whole again, as the first six movies joined the new sequels. Marvel's X-Men and Fantastic Four would join the Avengers. But these were not the main reason behind the merger. For Disney, this was a way to get a vast library of titles like The Simpsons, to populate Disney+ with, as well as create rebooted series from. With that in mind, it's a no-brainer a Home Alone reboot is coming to Disney+. It's merely part of the plan.

When the original Home Alone film premiered back during the holidays of 1990, it was expected to be a hit. It was produced by John Hughes, whose slew of 1980s films included Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It was directed by Chris Columbus, who would go on to make the early Harry Potter films. The movie brought in $152 million and was the biggest film of the year by miles.

But the movie houses have changed in the last 30 years. Something like Home Alone is too cute by half to make a full-fledged big-screen debut. On the other hand, it's perfect as a high-profile release on Disney+ streaming service.

Disney head Bob Iger first confirmed a "reimagining" of Home Alone was being discussed back in August of 2019. But now it seems this project is full steam ahead. According to Deadline:

Disney+ is moving forward with its fresh take on Home Alone, the hit 20th Century Fox franchise that now is owned by Disney after its takeover of Fox. Deadline has confirmed that Archie Yates, currently onscreen in a supporting role in Fox Searchlight’s Jojo Rabbit, has been cast alongside Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney in the film, which is set to begin shooting early next year in Canada.

This being a "reimagining" instead of a reboot means that Delany, Kemper, and Yates will not be playing new versions of the McCallister family. The original film starred legendary comedians John Heard and Catherine O'Hara as Peter and Kate McCallister, with Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, the youngest of their four kids. Kevin gets left behind in the rush to get the extended family to the airport to make their Christmas flight and spends Christmas Eve defending the house from burglars.

Who Delany and Kemper will play in the film is not yet clear, but it's a pretty good guess Yates will fill the role of the child left to defend the house while he's home alone.

The movie will shoot in 2020, with a release date expected late next year or in early 2021.