Overview
- The movie opened Nov. 16, 1990, introducing eight-year-old Kevin McCallister after his family departs for Paris without him.
- It was written and produced by John Hughes, directed by Chris Columbus, and stars Macaulay Culkin with Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.
- The film earned $476.7 million worldwide on roughly an $18 million budget and later spawned five sequels.
- Fresh features highlight on-set details such as Macaulay Culkin drawing Kevin’s trap map, a real tarantula used for a one-take scene, and Joe Pesci using comic gibberish to avoid swearing.
- Reporting also notes that Chris Columbus added Old Man Marley late to deepen the story and that John Candy’s cameo was largely improvised and filmed in a single day, as USA TODAY praises the film as a perennial holiday favorite.