Home Sweet Home Alone - What We Know So Far

More than three decades have passed since "Home Alone" hit theaters, and it's safe to say the film's legacy as a legit holiday classic is every bit as sound today as it was when it became one of 1990's biggest box office hits. That film featured Macaulay Culkin portraying Kevin McCallister, a precocious youngster accidentally left behind when the rest of his family jets off to France for a holiday getaway. Initially jazzed to have the house to himself, matters get tricky for Kevin when a pair of clever crooks (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) turn up to rob the McCallister's blind.

The resulting skirmish made for a madcap yet heartfelt holiday masterpiece that audiences continue to adore to this day. The same cannot be said for any of the ensuing four "Home Alone" sequels, each released with decidedly diminishing box office and critical returns. That apparently hasn't stopped producers from forging ahead with a sixth film in the "Home Alone" franchise, which is soon to hit a streaming platform near you. Here's everything we know so far about "Home Sweet Home Alone."

The world is likely surprised that there's a new "Home Alone" reboot, but here we are. As it is, the new film took shape after the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox), with the Mouse House making the new "Home Alone" project just one of many retreads planned from titles in the 20th Century Studios vaults. "Home Sweet Home Alone" is being helmed by frequent Sacha Baron Cohen collaborator Dan Mazer, working from a script by Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell that's reportedly based on John Hughes' screenplay from the original film (per Deadline).

Barring any last-minute scheduling changes, "Home Sweet Home Alone" is set to premiere later in 2021. That premiere will indeed come via the Disney+ streaming platform and is currently slated for November 12, 2021. So mark your calendar now if you want to see what fun-loving shenanigans are in store from "Home Sweet Home Alone."

Now that you know when and where the new "Home Alone" movie will debut, you might be interested to know who's going to be in it. And even if you weren't initially hot to get eyes on "Home Sweet Home Alone," its cast might just change your mind. Headlining the new "Home Alone" film are the formidable talents of "The Office," and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" star Ellie Kemper, and Rob Delaney, best known for his work in "Deadpool 2," "Hobbs & Shaw," and most recently "Tom and Jerry." That duo will be joined by star-on-the-rise Archie Yates, who landed some of the biggest laughs in Taika Waititi's Oscar-winning "Jojo Rabbit" as the central character's best bud Yorki.

As for the film's supporting players, well, there's a handful of comedic heavies on hand, with Kenan Thompson ("Saturday Night Live"), Pete Holmes (HBO's "Crashing"), Chris Parnell ("Rick and Morty"), Ally Maki ("Cloak & Dagger"), Andrew Daly ("Silicon Valley"), Timothy Simons ("Veep"), and Aisling Bea ("Living With Yourself") rounding out the cast. And as an added bonus, original "Home Alone" stars Macaulay Culkin and Devin Ratray (who played his big brother Buzz) are both set to reprise their roles for cameos in the film.

Right about now, you might be wondering what exactly the new "Home Alone" movie is about. It's probably best not to think too hard on that subject as pretty much every "Home Alone" movie takes a similar narrative track, with one youngster defending his turf from bad guys out to rob their homes or harm their persons. At least on a surface level, it seems "Home Sweet Home Alone" isn't going to deviate too far from that time-honored setup. 

That's hardly a surprise as Deadline indeed reported the screenplay for the new film is based on John Hughes' 1990 original. Per the official synopsis for "Home Sweet Home Alone," the film will be a relatively straight-forward rehash of the original, pitting Yates as a mischief-loving kid who's left home alone when his family journeys to Japan for the holidays. The family's assumed vacancy opens the door for a married couple to break in and make off with a priceless heirloom — a theft that will no doubt be thwarted by Yates' Max.

Kemper and Delaney will presumably play the thieving couple, but at the moment it's unclear what their respective roles will be. Whatever they play, here's hoping Mazer and company make good use of their talents, and that the cast and crew of "Home Sweet Home Alone" brings some fresh energy to the new film.