Here’s The Town podcast’s Matt Belloni with some intel regarding a potential Home Alone sequel starring Macaulay Culkin.
A sighting of Culkin on the Disney lot has sparked internal excitement about the possibility of relaunching the iconic franchise. Belloni notes that “Disney is salivating” over the idea of a sequel, which Culkin has refused to do for 34 years.
According to Belloni, Disney is “extremely eager to make this happen and is actively courting the actor.” He adds that while Kieran may be the Culkin brother with the Oscar, the studio is currently focusing its attention and resources on Macaulay to spearhead a new Home Alone, as his return would be a “major draw.”
It turns out Culkin has already developed a specific idea for a new Home Alone movie. Belloni says he has spoken with people who have heard the pitch, and they believe it is a “really good idea” that could successfully revive the series.
Just think about the franchise’s massive cultural impact. The first two Home Alone films remain endlessly rewatchable classics, and a sequel featuring Culkin would be a huge event for the studio.
Appearing at a 2025 event, Culkin confirmed he was open to returning to his Kevin McCallister role in a new “Home Alone” film, saying (via Variety) that “[I] wouldn’t be completely allergic… It would have to be just right.”
In fact, he seems to have thought it out, quite a bit, with a potential pitch for the film – one in which Kevin is now a single father raising his young son, caught between the demands of work and the growing emotional gap at home. As the pressures mount, he begins to recognize that his life has flipped the script of his own childhood—he has become the overwhelmed adult he once rebelled against.
I kind of had this idea. I’m either a widower or a divorcee. I’m raising a kid and all that stuff. 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. The house is some sort of metaphor for our relationship. [Kevin has to] get back into [his] son’s heart.
Gosh, where to begin? First off, can you make a Home Alone sequel with Culkin without the Wet Bandits? That would likely mean convincing the notoriously reclusive Joe Pesci, along with his co-star Daniel Stern, to return to their iconic roles. It also doesn’t help that Chris Columbus, director of the first two instalments, previously expressed little interest in reviving the franchise, saying, “You can’t really recapture that.” Then again, he’s a paycheck guy, so anything is possible.
Culkin returned for “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” but skipped the subsequent sequels. Much to my surprise, there were four of them: “Home Alone 3,” “Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House,” “Home Alone: The Holiday Heist,” and “Home Sweet Home Alone.” The latter three went straight to television or streaming.
Culkin is now 45. He became a massive child star at age 10, and following the success of “Home Alone,” he went on to appear in films such as “The Good Son,” “My Girl,” and “Richie Rich.” None matched the enduring magic of Columbus’ Home Alone films. Culkin largely stepped away from acting after that, though he has taken occasional roles over the years.
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