Disney is rebooting Home Alone, and has set Disney+ as the home for the reimagining. Over the last two years, Disney has seen two major changes come its way. They announced that they were developing a streaming service of their own, one that will offer content from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and more all in one place. But, Disney’s vast library of pre-existing content and their slate of original offerings for Disney+ were not viewed as enough content for the service if it was going to compete with the streaming giant that is Netflix.
Disney began finalizing its acquisition of the movie and TV divisions of 21st Century Fox in late 2017. One of the primary reasons behind this purchase according to Disney CEO Bob Iger was to gain access to more titles and IP to put on their streaming service, or Hulu (which they now own full control of). The interest in having known franchises like Avatar, Planet of the Apes, Alien, and Kingsman wasn’t just for big-screen adaptations though. Disney now has a wealth of popular Fox IPs that they can put on their streaming services, or even reboot now.
During Disney’s earnings call for the third quarter of 2019, Iger revealed one of these properties will be Home Alone. The Fox original movie debuted in 1990 with Macaulay Culkin starring in the lead role. It spawned a few sequels and reboots since that point, but now Disney is planning to put their own spin on the idea of a kid being all alone when something goes awry. It’s unclear at this point whether the Disney+ Home Alone reboot will be a movie or TV series.
The 90s Home Alone is a classic holiday movie by most accounts, so this reboot will have some big shoes to fill when it does come. But, Disney’s interest in rebooting this project specifically is a no-brainer. A new take on the property should be able to draw plenty of attention thanks to nostalgia alone. Of course, this reimagining will have to adapt for the 21st century, finding a way to explain away cellphones, smart devices, and more to keep the concept intact. This isn’t the only reboot heading to Disney+ though, as Cheaper by the Dozen, Night at the Museum, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid will get the same treatment as Home Alone.
Even though it’s long been expected that Disney would target Home Alone specifically for a reboot, it says a lot that it will be a Disney+ original instead of a theatrical release (if it’s a film). The original film grossed over $475 million worldwide, while the sequel earned over $350M in 1992. The Home Alone name could’ve been a big draw for moviegoers all these years later, but Disney will now hope any interest will lead to more subscribers instead of box office earnings. As of now, the new Home Alone project is without a writer, director, or star, so stay tuned for more updates on it as they come.
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Source: Disney
