Ah the Christmas holidays.. Snuggled up under a warm blanket on the sofa with loved ones, an overindulgent mug of hot chocolate cupped in both hands, and an uncomfortably full belly. A wholesome festive mood fills the room as the fire crackles and snowflakes gently fall against the frosted windows.
However, the kids are still restless and won’t stop pestering the adults. This moment is the perfect time to put on a festive movie for the whole family to enjoy. And that movie is undoubtedly Home Alone, right?
Well now it won’t be long before squabbles will ensue between young and old on whether to watch the original movies, or the modernised Disney remake.
That’s right folks, Disney have just today revealed that they are rebooting the classic Home Alone series as a “reimagining of the beloved holiday film franchise” this year, 31 years after the 1990 movie released in cinemas. And with a brand new cast to boot.
Perhaps just to add insult to injury, the name they’ve chosen for the movie is Home Sweet Home Alone; a truly gut wrenching play on the Home Sweet Home idiom.
Apparently this had been in the works for some time, with the earliest reports cropping up in late 2018. And according to some it was even “hotly anticipated”. At the time of writing this, the official trailer is being disliked into oblivion.
As one commenter on the YouTube trailer puts it- “I want a sequel with Macaulay Culkin as a grown man being left home alone by his wife and kids with Joe Pesci escaping a retirement home to get revenge”. I think if this was made into a movie instead I’d be a lot happier to see Home Alone make a return.
From what is revealed, the plot seems very similar to the early nineties originals; written and directed by the late John Hughes. In this modern reboot directed by Dan Mazer, we follow the story of the Mercer family, whose son Max (played by Archie Yates) has been left behind during their holiday visit to Tokyo.
Meanwhile, a duo of opportunistic burglars Pam and Jeff (played by Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney) set their eyes on a priceless heirloom inside the house. Now it is up to Max to mercilessly protect his family home from the not-so-cunning robbers. Sound familiar?
Around the middle of the trailer, it cuts to a shot of police responding to an attempted burglary at the family’s home “around 36, Lincoln Ave”. This is no doubt a nod to the location of the original home, but additionally the police officer’s badge reads McCallister. Seemingly the eldest child, Buzz, joined the local police force. As well as the Devin Ratray cameo it has been confirmed that Macaulay Culkin will be making a cameo appearance as Kevin in the reboot. It was also reported that Disney paid Culkin a cool $2.5m for the privilege.
The Mercer family parents are portrayed by Aisling Bea and Pete Holmes as Carol and Blake Mercer. Kenan Thompson is set to play as Gavin, Timothy Simons as Hunter, Andrew Daly as Mike and Ally Maki as Mei. Uncle Stu and Aunt Beth are portrayed by Chris Parnell and Cara Ricketts. The movie also casts Catherine Cohen (Mrs. Claus) and Mikey Day (a Priest) among others.
Home Sweet Home Alone is set to debut on November 12, 2021 exclusively on Disney+.
What are your initial impressions on Disney’s modern twist of the iconic Home Alone story? I’d love to know your thoughts- maybe you’re even fond of the idea. Leave them in the comments below, or contact us on our socials.
Watch the official trailer for Home Sweet Home Alone below.
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