Disney To Reboot Fox’s ‘Home Alone,’ ‘Night At The Museum,’ And More For Disney+
With its acquisition of 21st Century Fox,Disneyhas thousands of titles in its arsenal to pad out its upcoming streaming platform Disney+. But rather than simply offer an archive of classic titles stretching back decades, the House of Mouse is going to slap the Disney brand on 20th Century Fox’s most family-friendly hits with reboots and “reimaginings” of titles such asHome Alone, Night at the Museum, and more.
Disney chiefRobert Igerannounced on an earnings call with investors that the studio is developing reboots and reimaginings of Fox’s family-friendly titles likeHome Alone,Night at the Museum,Diary of a Wimpy KidandCheaper by the Dozento debut on Disney+, according toCollider.
Collider noted that aHome Alonereimagining is furthest along in development, with the Disney remake set to “turn the tables and follow a husband and wife who go to war with a young boy who has stolen something from them.” The original Chris Columbus film, which starredMacaulay Culkinas the resourceful (and maybepsychotic?) boy who is left to fend for himself against a pair of hapless thieves attempting to rob his house, was a modestly budgeted sleeper hit that went on to make $476 million worldwide and become a Christmas rerun classic. No word yet on the young star who would step into Culkin’s big shoes, butMelissa McCarthyis reportedly being eyed to star in the remake directed byBoratscribeDan Mazer. However, Collider notes that the studio hasn’t settled on a direction yet.
The other properties were also huge box office hits, with TheNight at the Museumfranchise grossing nearly $1.5 billion worldwide, while theDiary of a Wimpy Kidmovies raked in nearly $300 million worldwide. The recentCheaper by the Dozenmovies starring Steve Martin, themselves remakes of the 1950 film, also grossed over $300 million — making all three titles easy choices for Disney to build out its family-friendly base on Disney+.
Still, it’s a little discouraging to realize that most of the original “content” on Disney+ will be remakes, reboots, or Marvel shows. Live-action remakes of Disney animated films that don’t have as strong of a nostalgia pull likeLady in the Trampare heading to the streaming service, as are series adaptations of mid-budget hits likeLove, Simon. Apart from titles likeThe Mandalorian, or adaptations of YA novels likeStargirl, Disney+ seems to be falling heavily on recognizable IP, which is a smart but far too safe choice in the increasingly crowded streaming wars.
