It's Time To Finally Bring Back Macaulay Culkin to The Home Alone Franchise

It's the Christmas season, but wherever you go you can't escape Home Alone. The 1990 film, written by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, has become the unofficial movie of the holidays every year. It was a huge hit when it came out, making an astounding $285 million at the box office on just an $18 million budget, and turning young star Macaulay Culkin into the most famous child actor since Shirley Temple. There have been several sequels over the years, but none hit with the warmth of the original. For older moviegoers, Home Alone is pure nostalgic joy, and for younger audiences, it's a fun comedy sure to become a future favorite. It has been thirty-four years since it debuted, but now it's time for Macaulay Culkin to return. The world needs Kevin McCallister.

Macaulay Culkin Went Through Some Rough Times After 'Home Alone'

Home Alone was a such a huge hit that there just had to be a sequel. Two short years later we got it with 1992's Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. With Culkin, Columbus, Hughes, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern back, Home Alone 2 felt mostly like a remake of the first film, just set in the Big Apple and with more violent comeuppance for the criminals. Audiences didn't mind. Home Alone wasn't meant to be an Oscar winner, but a feel-good, wholesome movie for the family that made us laugh. By that metric, Home Alone 2 was a success, leading to a $173 million theatrical haul, but it would be the last time Culkin played Kevin McCallister.

Five years later there'd be a Home Alone 3, but Culkin had long since retired from acting by then. After the first two Home Alone films, he starred in movies like My Girl, The Good Son, and Richie Rich. Some were better than others, but while Culkin continued to be a household name, none of these films could match what he had done playing Kevin. After 1994's Richie Rich, Macaulay walked away from fame at just the age of 14. He got emancipated from his parents and lived the life we wanted. That sadly led to addiction and a 2004 drug arrest. It felt like Culkin would be another child star lost, but then he made a comeback.

Macaulay Culkin Has Embraced His Home Alone Fame

Macaulay Culkin had attempted an acting comeback with 2003's Party Monster and 2004's Saved, and although he received critical praise for both, he disappeared again. However, he has come out on the other side of his issues a healed man. He had his own band, The Pizza Underground, and showed up in fun YouTube videos. He then found happiness, falling in love with actress Brenda Strong and having two sons with her. When you see him out and about now, the skinny, unkempt guy is gone, replaced by a man who looks very healthy and full of life.

Home Alone has never left Culkin. Instead of running from the weight of that immense fame, he has instead chosen to embrace it. In 2018, he did a commercial for Google Assistant where he recreated various Home Alone scenes. It immediately went viral. This year, he did a commercial for Uber Eats, and while he wasn't playing Kevin, the Christmas theme and the familiar-looking sweater he was wearing showed that he was completely okay with being known for Home Alone. Last year he proudly accepted a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and just last week he made headlines by attending a Home Alone screening where, during a Q&A, he said that he's had conversations about returning to the role that changed his life. Now, more than ever, it's time to make it happen.

It's Time for a 'Home Alone' With a Grownup Kevin McCallister

There have been several Home Alone films since 1992, and even though Kevin hasn't appeared in any of them, he was mentioned in 2021's Home Sweet Home Alone, which brought back Devin Ratray as his brother, Buzz, who is now a cop. Buzz not only mentions that Kevin prank calls him about being left home alone every year, but there is also a sign shown in front of a home that reads "Protected by McCallister Home Security." Is this the way to bring Kevin back?

There are plenty of ways to have Kevin McCallister in a new Home Alone movie, but it needs to happen sooner rather than later. Maybe Chris Columbus, Catherine O'Hara (who has a Home Alone inspired commercial herself), Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, and Kieran Culkin can all come back. And with today's technology, there are so many ways in which an inventive Kevin can capture some robbers. Culkin recently said that he's been asked to return to the franchise fairly recently, but he's understandably been spending time raising his two children with song.

In a way, Macaulay Culkin has become the mascot for Christmas. That should be celebrated. Sure, Hollywood is obsessed with nostalgia and sequels, and while that lack of creativity can be frustrating for audiences, this is a time when it makes sense. Home Alone is all about bringing people happiness during the season. It's an annual tradition, and Culkin is almost like a part of our families. No, another film could never match the magic of the first, but that's not the point. It can bring that joyful feeling back, and with the state of the world as it now is, with so much negativity and fighting, isn't a grownup Kevin McCallister beating up bad guys what we all need?

Home Alone is available to watch on Disney+.

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