“Home Alone” began with the iconic 1990 movie starring Macaulay Culkin. In 1992, he reprised the role for the similarly famous “Lost in New York” sequel. But did you know that, as of 2021, there have been 8 total installments of the Home Alone franchise?
Starting in 1997 with “Home Alone 3,” each movie afterwards featured a new kid in a new house. The third installment received a 4.6/10 from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and has since become a forgotten addition to the classic Home Alone franchise. Grossing $79 million at the box office against a $32 million budget, the movies continued to profit, with the next movie, “Home Alone 4,” releasing just 5 years later. The original sequel, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” grossed over $350 million in its theatrical debut, over 4x the amount as its successor.
While the franchise declined majorly due to the loss of familiar faces between films, it also flopped due to future installments relying too heavily on the established brand. Both the 4th and 5th movies’ posters featured the iconic “shocked face” from the first movie. Rather than coming across as classic and fun, it came across as ingenuine and uncreative. The movies were not attempting to do anything new with the franchise; this alongside poor writing and outdated jokes only killed the series even more.
As of 2025, the Home Alone franchise has included 6 movies, 2 video games, and has grossed over $1 billion total. Despite these impressive figures, 90% of this revenue comes from the first 2 films alone. It is likely the producers will continue to use Home Alone as a cash grab for future projects, but without the genuine passion behind them, they will likely never compare to the fan-favorite classics.
