Nearly 35 years after the movie first premiered, Residence Alone director Chris Columbus is providing solutions for a few of the most steadily requested questions across the characters within the film — together with how the McCallister household might afford their lovely house in Chicago.
On a current episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Columbus defined that the mannequins briefly proven within the basement of the home have been a touch that household matriarch Kate McCallister (Catherine O’Hara) was a high-profile dressmaker.
“The daddy might have, primarily based on [writer] John Hughes’ personal expertise, labored in promoting, however I don’t keep in mind what the daddy did,” the director continued. “Not organized crime — despite the fact that there was, on the time, loads of organized crime in Chicago.”
Elsewhere within the episode, Columbus mentioned seeing over 300 younger actors for the function of Kevin earlier than touchdown on McCaulay Culkin. He additionally spoke to the roundabout manner he landed within the director’s chair for Residence Alone: After a “weird” assembly with Chevy Chase for Nationwide Lampoon’s Christmas Trip failed to point a promising artistic relationship, Columbus exited the undertaking. Then, John Hughes recommended he tackle Residence Alone as a substitute.
In early 2024, the precise home within the Chicago suburbs was listed at a wild $5.25 million; the house had beforehand appeared available on the market for $1.58 million in 2012, and went by means of a quick chapter as an Airbnb in 2021.
See the place the music from Residence Alone landed in our current roundup of the most effective movie scores from legendary composer John Williams.
Columbus jumped on the podcast to debate his work as a producer on Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, which is now in theaters (learn our overview right here). Take heed to the complete Awards Chatter episode with Chris Columbus right here.