Director Chris Columbus, known for helming the “Home Alone” and “Harry Potter” franchises, revealed a bizarre meeting with Chevy Chase that led him to the iconic franchise. In an episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Columbus recounted how he was initially set to direct the 1989 Christmas classic “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
A script by John Hughes, another Chicago native, had been sent to Columbus and asked him to helm it after two box office disappointments. However, things took an awkward turn during a meeting with Chase. The actor seemed distracted and uninterested in discussing the film. At one point, he claimed not to recognize Columbus as the director and thought he was a drummer.
The encounter led Columbus to bow out of the project, but fate intervened when Hughes sent him another Christmas-related script: “Home Alone.” Although Columbus was initially hesitant about directing the young Macaulay Culkin, it proved to be a fruitful collaboration. The meeting with 300 other kids ultimately led to discovering Culkin’s talent.
Columbus also shared some behind-the-scenes insights on casting Chris Farley in “Home Alone” and clarified the McCallister family’s occupation, which was debated among fans online. While the director can’t confirm John Heard’s character’s profession, he confirmed that Catherine O’Hara’s Kate McCallister was a successful fashion designer.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/home-alone-parents-jobs-chevy-chase-meeting-chris-columbus-1236093423