As a writer, director and producer, Chris Columbus has been pivotal in creating a string of hit movies that are held very close to the hearts of multiple generations, an impressive list that includes Gremlins, The Goonies, Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jingle All the Way and the first two installments in the Harry Potter franchise.
At the peak of his powers, Columbus was among the biggest directors in the business, and at one stage his stock was so high that he turned down Spider-Man in favor of launching the Potter series, both of which went on to become one of the early 21st Century’s most successful, important and influential blockbusters.
One thing he does not care for, however, are reboots of his back catalogue. Disney Plus exclusive Home Sweet Home Alone is the fourth hybrid of sequel and reboot to arrive since Columbus’ Lost in New York back in 1992, while rumors abound that HBO Max are considering multiple Harry Potter offshoots for streaming.
In an interview with Jake’s Takes, the filmmaker voiced his exasperation at the lack of originality in modern cinema, particularly when it comes to projects designed as broad crowd-pleasers.
“I can’t answer the first… I don’t know. In this version of Hollywood that we live in, everybody is remaking everything and rebooting everything. I mean, there’s a Home Alone reboot coming out. What’s the point? The movie exists, let’s just live with the movie that existed. There’s no point in us remaking The Wizard of Oz, there’s no point in any of us remaking the classic films. Make something original, because we need more original material. So, no point.”
Regardless of what form the mooted HBO Max shows end up taking, it’s a foregone conclusion that Harry Potter will be remade eventually, whether that’s years or decades from now, and we’re all just going to have to live with it.
