“Home Alone” grossed almost $500 million on a shoestring budget of just $18 million. The film has become a Christmas classic loved by generations of children, and it launched a franchise that continues to cash in to this day.
This was the dream scenario for 20th Century Fox when they acquired the film in 1990. But every single penny could have gone to Warner Bros., the original studio involved in the film during production. But Warner Bros. balked when director Christopher Colmbus said he needed $17 million to complete the film. They told him they weren’t willing to pay more than $14 million.
Unwilling to cut corners, the Home Alone team – including screenwriter John Hughes – found a way to get out of the deal and get 20th Century Fox to give them the money they needed.
Warner Bros. invested in the wrong film
To make matters worse, Warner Bros. was watching Bonfire of the Vanities literally go up in flames right at this point. “There is little joy at Warner Brothers today,” said a New York Times article at the end of the year. “While many Americans were reluctant to spend money on last-minute Christmas presents, they were equally unwilling to fill the idle hours with a visit to ‘Bonfire of the Vanities.’
The film cost about $40 million to produce and even more in advertising, but it grossed just $3.1 million in its opening weekend.
Meanwhile, Home Alone broke all box office records. It wasn’t a good Christmas for the Warner Bros team.
This translated text comes from the list “The 50 Worst Decisions in Movie History” our colleagues from the USA