‘He reminds me of a young Stanley Kubrick’: ‘Home Alone’ director Chris Columbus showers praise on an unexpected filmmaker

Home Alone director Chris Columbus knows a thing or two about filmmaking. So, when he heralds someone as the next Stanley Kubrick, it’s best that everyone sit up and take notice.

Columbus possesses an enviable filmography, having directed beloved films like Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and Pixels – okay, we’ll forgive him for that last one, but the sentiment still stands. He’s also knee deep in the trenches to bring the film adaptation of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club to Netflix in 2025.

Apart from his directorial work, Columbus also takes on producer roles for movies he doesn’t always helm, such as Robert Eggers’ upcoming remake of Nosferatu, which stars Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok, Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter, and Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter. Having worked closely with Eggers, Columbus told Deadline what he thinks of the 41-year-old filmmaker. He said:

“Rob makes films like no one else. I wouldn’t say this lightly, but he reminds me of a young Stanley Kubrick.”

In addition, Chris Columbus praised Eggers’ attention to detail and expressed that there aren’t that many directors out there who understand film history like Eggers. It’s not the first time that Columbus has complimented Eggers, or brought up comparisons to Kubrick, as he previously posted on his Instagram account, “Prepare yourself for the scariest film since The Shining! Robert Eggers has created a masterpiece.”

Now, from the outside looking in, this seems like nothing more than a producer doing PR work for a film they have invested their money in. Nosferatu could be the next Morbius, but Columbus wouldn’t be telling people that Eggers did a mid job on it. The proof, as they say, lies in the pudding.

The good news is that Columbus doesn’t appear to be telling any lies. This pudding known as Nosferatu might be the sweetest tasting thing coming this Christmas. As it stands, the movie holds a fang-tastic 93% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from over 90 reviews. Critics have called it a “cinematic triumph,” “the finest piece of horror,” and “one of the best movies of the year.” Needless to say, everyone should be taking that money for Santa’s milk and cookies, and spending it on Nosferatu tickets instead. 

Nosferatu wouldn’t be the first film that Eggers received overwhelming praise for, as he’s the visionary behind masterpieces such as The Lighthouse, The Witch, and The Northman. However, this remake of F. W. Murnau’s 1922 classic feels bigger and more buzzworthy since Eggers was announced to be tackling it as far back as 2015. In other words, this film took nearly 10 years to realize.

Speaking to Empire, Eggers admitted he’s glad it took as long as it did. He said:

“I’m so happy to have made The Northman first and to have learned what I learned. When I think about the production plan of Nosferatu that we had the first time around, I’m sure I would have somehow pulled it out of my butt, but it’s hard not to imagine it being a failure.”

Judging by what Chris Columbus declared about him and the positive critical reviews of Nosferatu, Eggers might just be on the brink of becoming the next Stanley Kubrick. Just don’t make a remake of Eyes Wide Shut, okay?