Disney Revealed The Home Alone Reboot Release Date And More, So Buckle Up, You Filthy Animals

Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone, scream face
(Image credit: (Fox))
(Image credit: (Fox))

“KEVINNNN!” It’s the loud and obnoxious, yet soothing words that come out of many of our TV screens year after year as we continue the tradition of watching 1990’s Home Alone each holiday season. But this year, Disney+ is welcoming a new mischievous kid onto our Christmas list with a reboot called Home Sweet Home Alone, and we finally have some more details.

It’s been announced that 20th Century Studios' upcoming holiday family film is set to premiere on the two-year anniversary of Disney+, i.e. November 12. Home Sweet Home Alone stars 12-year-old Archie Yates, who memorably starred in Oscar-winning film Jojo Rabbit as a new character named Max Mercer, who will deal with a situation during the Christmas season Kevin McCallister can relate to.

Except instead of two bumbling thieves, the antagonists that Max Mercer will come in crosshairs with is a married couple who has their eyes on a priceless heirloom that is located in Max’s house. When Max accidentally ends up home alone while his family are in Japan for the holidays, he uses his cleverness to keep them away.

While 20th Century Studios' official announcement doesn’t specify who plays who, the Home Sweet Home Alone cast includes Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s Ellie Kemper, Catastrophe’s Rob Delaney, Veep’s Timothy Simons, Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson and Ally Maki. The movie was written by Saturday Night Live cast member Mikey Day, along with one of the show’s staff writers, Streeter Seidell. Disney+ also made the announcement via its Instagram:

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The studio behind Home Alone has tried to recapture the magic of the original two movies from John Hughes and Chris Columbus a few times over the years with Home Alone 3 in 1997, Home Alone 4 in 2002 and Home Alone: The Holiday Heist in 2012, each starring different kids. None of them have come close to living up to the original starring Macaulay Culkin.

There’s a lot to love about the original. John Williams’ score, the many quotable lines and sweet message of Christmas Culkin displays through his journey. I wouldn’t necessarily go into Home Sweet Home Alone expecting it to reach these heights, but the movie does look to be armed with some talented writers and actors.

Disney+ has already produced a few of holiday films in its two years as a streaming service, including Noelle starring Anna Kendrick and last year’s The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special. And next year, Disney+ will release the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special from James Gunn and starring the live-action Marvel crew in time for the 2022 holidays. While we wait for Home Sweet Home Alone, check out what’s new to Disney+ this August here on CinemaBlend.

Sarah El-Mahmoud
Staff Writer

Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.