Macaulay Culkin would have made Home Alone 3 a much bigger success if he had returned, but why did he decline the offer?
The first two Home Alone films starred Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, but he declined a third appearance. Kevin is left behind when his family goes on vacation over Christmas, which leads to him defending himself and his house against two burglars known as the Wet Bandits. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York has a similar premise, but Kevin faces off against the Wet Bandits in New York instead of Chicago. Millions of households watch the two movies every year as Christmas classics.
Home Alone 2 is even more beloved than the original, and the franchise was on an upward trajectory, but Culkin did not return for another sequel. Five years later, a third Home Alone was released, but it followed a different family and villains. With a bigger narrative about international criminals, Home Alone 3 attempted to make up for the absence of familiar characters, but it didn’t have the same magic as its two predecessors. Although Culkin passed on the idea of reprising his role, the movie would have been much more successful if he had.
The development of Home Alone 3 failed twice. After the sequel wasn’t shot simultaneously with Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, a script that followed Kevin as a teenager was developed (via Uproxx). However, Macaulay Culkin retired, which prevented that from happening. As one of the most successful rising movie stars at the time, Macaulay Culkin starred not only in the Home Alone movies, but also in My Girl, Richie Rich, and Uncle Buck. Culkin abruptly retired in 1994, albeit temporarily.
Aside from changing the future of the Home Alone franchise, the actor decided to leave acting behind to pursue hobbies such as painting and writing. Home Sweet Home Alone, the sixth movie in the series and the fourth without Culkin, reveals what happened to Kevin McCallister after Home Alone even though he hasn’t played the role since 1992. There is an Easter egg indicating that he became an expert in home security. Max’s house in the movie is marked “Protected by McCallister Home Security,” hinting that Kevin even started his own company.
Without Macaulay Culkin, Home Alone 3 would have been a much bigger financial success. The movie barely made $80 million (via Box Office Mojo), a significant drop from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York’s $359 million gross. A large part of the $279 million difference can be attributed to the mostly unknown cast in the threequel. Neither Culkin nor Joe Pesci nor any of the other original Home Alone actors returned. As a result, Home Alone 3 was always going to have a less-than-stellar reception due to the lack of familiar faces or notable connections to the original movie.
Home Alone 3
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