According to veteran Hollywood insider Matt Belloni on his podcast The Town, Culkin was recently spotted on Disney’s studio lot in Burbank. The reason? Disney is reportedly “salivating” over the prospect of reviving the Home Alone franchise with its original leading man, and executives are pulling out all the stops to get him on board.
Disney’s Full-Court Press
Disney clearly recognizes that a legitimate Home Alone continuation starring Culkin would be a massive, tentpole streaming and theatrical event. To convince the actor to return to a franchise he has kept at arm’s length for over 30 years, the studio is rolling out the ultimate Hollywood red carpet.
“Macaulay Culkin is being courted like nobody else in Hollywood right now,” Belloni revealed on the podcast. “They’re offering him another movie—like he could do his own personal project—if he would also do another Home Alone.”
The Pitch: Kevin McCallister Gets Locked OUT
Unlike previous reboots that attempted to swap in new characters, this potential revival stems directly from a fresh, surprisingly emotional concept floated by Culkin himself.
Rather than rehashing the plot of the 1990 classic, Culkin’s concept completely flips the dynamic of the original films on its head:
- The Setup: Kevin is now an overworked adult (either a widower or a divorcee) struggling to balance his career while raising his young son.
- The Twist: Frustrated by his father’s constant absence and emotional distance, the son locks Kevin out of the house.
- The Traps: Instead of defending the perimeter against bumbling burglars, Kevin is forced to navigate a gauntlet of home-brewed booby traps set by his own child just to break back inside.
- The Metaphor: “I kind of had this idea… [Kevin’s son] won’t let me in, and he’s the one setting traps for me,” Culkin previously shared. “The house is some sort of metaphor for our relationship. [Kevin has to] get back into his son’s heart.”
Belloni noted that he has spoken with individuals who have heard the pitch directly, confirming that studio insiders view it as a genuinely clever way to reboot the brand.
From Legacy Avoidance to Full-Circle Renaissance
For years, Culkin understandably distanced himself from the overwhelming spotlight of his child-star era. However, his recent creative renaissance—including standout performances in American Horror Story, The Righteous Gemstones, and Amazon’s Fallout—has coincided with a newfound willingness to embrace his iconic roots.
While the actor previously stated he “wouldn’t be completely allergic” to returning as long as the story felt right, Disney’s willingness to grant him creative freedom might be the exact spark needed to close the deal. If negotiations pan out, holiday moviegoers could soon see an adult Kevin McCallister finding out just how painful a swung paint can really is from the receiving end.
