As a fan who grew up with the magic of Chris Columbus‘ enchanting films, I can’t help but feel like I’ve stumbled upon a real-life fairy godfather. From Gremlins and The Goonies to Home Alone and Harry Potter, his work has been the soundtrack of my childhood memories. But what makes his journey even more captivating is how a boy from a blue-collar Ohio family found himself working with Steven Spielberg!
In this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, it was Chris Columbus, a renowned filmmaker, who graced us with his presence. Known for creating some of the most cherished and financially successful family films in history, he penned ‘Gremlins’ from 1984 and ‘The Goonies’ from 1985, directed ‘Home Alone’ in 1990 and its sequel ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York’ in 1992 – both iconic Christmas movies. He also directed ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ in 1993 and the first two Harry Potter films, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ from 2001 and ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ from 2002. It’s intriguing then, at the age of 66, to learn that he is now producing ‘Nosferatu’, a chilling horror film by Robert Eggers, under Maiden Voyage Productions, his production company with his daughter and partner. This movie, set for release on Christmas Day, stars Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, and Bill Skarsgård. The distribution will be handled by Focus.
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In a chat at The Hollywood Reporter’s Los Angeles office, Columbus reminisced about his journey from a working-class family in Ohio to collaborating with Steven Spielberg in his mid-twenties. He shared the story of a disappointing encounter with Chevy Chase that led him to resign as director of National Lampoons’ Christmas Vacation, which paved the way for the creation of another cherished holiday film, Home Alone. He also talked about how, a decade after Home Alone broke box-office records as the highest-grossing comedic movie ever made, his career took a downturn, and he had to persuade Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling to entrust him with directing the Harry Potter films. The three main actors for these movies he subsequently chose. He also clarified why, following the first two Harry Potter films, he shifted his focus towards production work, eventually using his influence to support emerging filmmakers like Eggers, for whom he served as an executive producer on The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019).
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2024-12-25 06:54