Borat writer Dan Mazer being eyed to direct Home Alone reboot

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

After acquiring 20th Century Fox, Disney now has a vaster library of titles to do whatever they want with, which means they will definitely be mining some of the more successful titles for…whatever they want, really. Such is the case for the HOME ALONE series, and with a planned reboot on the docket for the upcoming streaming service Disney+, word is that BORAT and BRUNO writer Dan Mazer is in talks to direct.

[SEE MORE]

Collider got the scoop that Mazer is in negotiations to take on the reboot after being at the top of their shortlist. While co-writing comedies with Sacha Baron Cohen (and collaborating with him on other projects like THE DICTATOR and WHO IS AMERICA?), Mazer will not be writing the script, as there is already a draft by SNL’s Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell. The original story centered on a boy being left home alone while his family goes on vacation, only to have to fend off would-be thieves with Hot Wheels and old movies, but this reboot apparently finds a husband and wife who feud with a young boy after they believe he stole something from them.

There’s no word yet on casting, but the report claims production is expected to start within the first few months of 2020, so expect to see some names drop soon. This seems like something Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston would’ve teamed up for a few years back, but it seems like any two funny people could play the parents. Maybe throw Bill Hader in there with Amy Poehler. Sky’s the limit!

[SEE MORE]

Disney has all sorts of titles to play with — ranging from AVATAR to THE SIMPSONS — and while HOME ALONE seems an odd one to start with, there is a viable reason for it. The first movie and its sequel, HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK, were two of the biggest comedies of their time, making over $800 million globally and turning the young Macaulay Culkin into a star. There is enough name recognition behind the series to take a chance on a theatrical release, but a reboot would be right at home going straight to streaming, beefing up their library with family-friendly content to go along with the likes of STAR WARS and Marvel content. 

As for the reboot itself, as someone who fondly remembers the movies but doesn't hold any special place for them, I can only ask the obligatory "Why?" The first (and maybe second) has a solidified place in pop culture, and other than for the sake of trying something different with the premise, there's no reason to make another, and one that will for sure fail to rise to the same level as the original. But we should expect plenty of this in the future, because when there's this much nostalgia available, $6.99 a month for Disney+ seems like a steal, right?