The trailer for the ‘Home Alone’ reboot is here… but we might like this fan plot line more

Some classics should be left alone. Home Alone is one of them in my opinion. It’s just too good – nothing could ever compare to the original. Let’s be honest, producers really should have stopped after the second film, the third instalment was just a bit of a disappointment even if it did have Scar Jo in it. 

That said, the first trailer for Home Sweet Home Alone, the upcoming Home Alone reboot, is here and it looks… kind of good, actually? It also has Aisling Bea in it which is always a major bonus in our eyes. Coming to Disney+ this festive season, the movie – which has been described as Home Alone, but British – centres on youngster Max Mercer, who finds himself unwittingly left behind after his family jets off to Tokyo for the holidays. 

“They don’t even know I’m here,” he laments, before realising the possibilities that such freedom affords him and rejoices, “They don’t even know I’m here!” Settling into solitary life quite well, Max does all of the things his US counterpart Kevin McCallister did – namely watch lots of TV and eat lots of rubbish. The mountain of peanut M&M’s is his Everest and he tackles it like a pro. 

His peace is soon disrupted though when a married couple try to break in and steal a precious Mercer family heirloom. Forced to defend his home from unwanted intruders, he takes his cues from Kevin McCallister once again and sets up a series of traps designed to keep the burglars out. 

Less of a reboot and more another sequel of sorts, the new movie even includes a subtle nod to the original and you may have noticed that the officer called out to the scene of the crime bears an uncanny resemblance to Buzz. Not only does he wear a uniform with the name McCallister emblazoned across his chest, but as it turns out, it actually is the same actor that played Kevin’s bully older brother all those years ago. We love a good cinematic Easter egg. 

As already mentioned, Irish comedian Aisling Bea stars in the new movie, nabbing herself the role of Max’s mother, Carol. While many fans were understandably thrilled to hear she’d be involved in the project, some were less so after hearing her new English accent. 

“To everyone who has been wondering online why I have an English accent in the new Home Alone movie, it’s because the character’s English, she’s from England and if she’s from England and spoke with an Irish accent then that would be quite strange,” Bea said in response to the comments.

“If she were Australian would she probably have an Australian accent, if she were from Texas well she would probably have a southern accent, if she was Scotland she would have a Scottish accent and if she was from Ireland she would probably speak very much like I do because I am from Ireland but this character is not from Ireland, she’s from England and so that’s why I’m doing the accent.” That explains it. 

It is also not a true crime documentary about a Mother who leaves her son alone to fend for himself, because if it was I would be in jail. #HomeSweetHomeAlone @disneyplus pic.twitter.com/zO1JJe8GIk

— Aisling Bea (@WeeMissBea) October 12, 2021

Other big names to feature in the upcoming Christmas movie include Crashing’s Pete Holmes, Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson, The US Office star Ellie Kemper and Deadpool 2’s Rob Delaney to name but a few.  

While the new movie is already finished and ready to go, we wouldn’t rule another take on the story out just yet as one Twitter user proposed quite a brilliant way to revisit it, 30 years on. Saying that “the time is RIPE for a true Home Alone 3”, writer and comedian Kevin Zak has clearly given the whole thing a lot of thought and has just about every aspect of the plotline planned. 

He suggests things play out as follows: 

“It’s been 30 years. Kevin McCallister (40) is now the Associate Artistic Director at Carnegie Hall (a Brenda Fricker nod). He and his husband Derek (played by Dan Levy) live in Kevin’s late Uncle’s Townhouse on the UWS [upper west side]. 

“The couple travels to Chicago to spend one last Christmas at home with his recently widowed mother (Catherine O’Hara) and then help her move out of the big old McCallister house.

“Because it’s been 30 years, Marv and Harry have served their time for armed robbery. They are released and have thought of nothing but revenge. To get Kevin McCallister where they want him, they hatch a plan to kidnap Kevin’s mom.

“Kevin and Derek arrive in Chicago after accidentally sleeping in and running through JFK to make their flight JUST in time. They arrive at an empty house with a ransom note that says ‘We have your mom, little buddy’.”

Kevin and Derek call the police but they’re landed with “the same useless cops” (Larry Hankin and Kate Johnson) from the original Home Alone. Derek is distraught at the situation, but Kevin knows exactly who’s responsible and takes it upon himself to get his mother back. 

THREAD-The time is RIPE for a true Home Alone 3. It’s been 30 years. Kevin McCallister (40) is now the Associste Artistic Director at Carnegie Hall (a Brenda Fricker nod). He and his husband Derek (played by Dan Levy) live in Kevin’s late Uncle’s Townhouse on the UWS. pic.twitter.com/gnIJy7gd9d

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— Kevin Zak (@KevinJZak) December 6, 2020

“It turns out Marv and Harry have taken Kate to the church near the McCallister house (the one where Kevin connected with Old Man Marley 30 years prior),” Zak continues. “Sadly, the church went under 10 years prior and has sat empty since.”

This is where things get interesting. “The tables have turned. Now Kevin (& Derek) have to go through the funhouse set up by Marv and Harry. Kevin is much smarter than the burglars are when it comes to homemade weapons and is able to evade each trap. Derek is not so prepared and gets caught in most traps. Hilarious!

“Marv and Harry have Kate in the basement. While they are putting Kevin and his husband through the booby-trapped church, she is able to cut herself free and she takes a crucifix and hits both bandits. They collapse easily because they are now 63 and 77.

“Kevin, his mom, and Derek flee the church and head back to the house. Kevin reveals to his mom and husband how he knows the Sticky Bandits and what transpired on those Christmases 30 years ago. Derek is wildly alarmed (as only Dan Levy could pull off). While they are sharing secrets, Kate reveals she had an orgy with the polka band that drove her from Scranton to CHI in 1991. She doesn’t regret it & she never told Kevin’s father. Kevin and his mom hug by the Xmas tree.” Didn’t see that one coming, but it kind of makes sense in hindsight. 

“Kevin then says they should rig the house with traps & try to catch the geriatric Sticky Bandits (who are lying dead in the church). Kevin’s husband thinks this whole thing is insane and calls the police. Lana Del Ray’s cover of Somewhere in My Memory plays over the credits.”

And… scene. 

This is what an updated Home Alone would actually look like. pic.twitter.com/sGj86933LA

— Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) August 7, 2019

The new Home Sweet Home Alone movie (which premieres on Disney+ on November 12) looks good and everything, but I think we’d rather see Kevin Zak’s idea brought to life. Wouldn’t you?!

Feature image @weemissbea