Story of How a “Bizarre” Meeting Led to the Creation of $476 Million Franchise “Home Alone”

When we think of Christmas movies, Home Alone is usually at the top of the list. It’s hard to imagine the holiday season without seeing Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin) outsmarting the Wet Bandits and defending his home from the burglars. 

But what if we told you that Home Alone—the classic film we all know and love—almost didn’t happen the way it did? Believe it or not, the creation of Home Alone all started with a strange, awkward meeting that eventually led to the making of one of the most successful franchises in film history.

Director Chris Columbus, who later helmed Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, almost ended up making a completely different Christmas movie instead. In this article, we’ll take you through the bizarre events that led to Home Alone being made! 

How an unexpected meeting led to the creation of the Home Alone franchise

Let’s start with the strange meeting that changed everything. In the late 1980s, director Chris Columbus was struggling. After a few films that didn’t do well at the box office, he was in desperate need of a big hit.

That opportunity came in the form of a script for National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation written by John Hughes, a fellow Chicagoan and movie legend. Hughes sent Columbus the script and asked him to direct it. Columbus, eager for the job, happily agreed and jumped into production right away.

But then came the moment that nearly derailed everything. Columbus sat down with Chevy Chase, the star of Christmas Vacation. The conversation, however, was anything but star-studded. “I’m asking him all these questions,” Columbus recalled, “and he was just dead and not interested and distracted.” 

Then, the weirdest thing happened. After 40 minutes of uncomfortable conversation, Chase suddenly asked, “Wait a second, you’re the director?” Columbus replied, “Yeah.” And then Chase, looking confused, said, “Oh, I thought you were a drummer.’

Columbus, understandably confused, was taken aback. What? A drummer? Who knows what that meant, but it wasn’t exactly the best moment for a director trying to feel confident about his job.

After that, things only got worse. During a dinner with Hughes, Chase was practically ignoring Columbus, diverting the conversation away from the movie at every turn. As the director told The Hollywood Reporter:

It was even worse. [Chase] was ignoring me. It was like I wasn’t even involved in the film. Every time I brought up the film, he changed the subject.

Columbus, feeling like a third wheel, had to bow out. It was painful, but necessary. Just a week later, Hughes did what any good friend would do. He sent Columbus a new script—Home Alone. This was the moment Columbus had been waiting for. Hughes was all-in on Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, but Columbus wasn’t sold yet.

He agreed to meet Culkin and several other kids for the role, but after meeting 300 other young actors, he finally realized Culkin was the perfect choice. Sometimes, the stars really do align.

The biggest Home Alone mystery finally revealed

Here’s a fun fact that many Home Alone fans have wondered about over the years: How on earth could Kevin McCallister’s parents afford that huge, fancy house in Chicago? Seriously, it’s huge.

Kevin had a whole bunch of rooms to roam around, not to mention a basement for hiding and causing all sorts of trouble. So, how did they make their fortune? Well, it turns out the answer has been hiding in plain sight all along.

Chris Columbus recently revealed the answer in an interview, and it’s actually pretty simple. According to Columbus (via THR), “Back then, John [Hughes] and I had a conversation about it,” and they decided that Catherine O’Hara’s character, Kate McCallister, “was a very successful fashion designer.” Makes sense, right?

Fashion designers can make a lot of money, and it explains the McCallister family’s upper-class lifestyle. Meanwhile, Peter McCallister, Kevin’s dad, was a little more elusive. As the 66-year-old said:

The father could have, based on John Hughes own experience, worked in advertising, but I don’t remember what the father did.

So there you go. Kate’s a fashion mogul, and Peter’s probably a big-shot ad exec. Mystery solved! But wait—there’s more! Remember the part where Kevin sets up the dancing mannequins in the window to scare off the Wet Bandits?

Well, they’re subtle references to Kate’s career in the fashion industry. It’s a little Easter egg that only the most eagle-eyed viewers might catch!

Home Alone is available to stream on Disney+!