Disney to remake ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Night at the Museum’
The streaming service will launch with 300 movies including its 'Star Wars', Pixar and Marvel titles.
Disney’s streaming service will offer its films and TV shows, along with the library it acquired from Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox. That includes the “Star Wars” and Marvel superhero franchises and ABC television content. AFP/File/VALERIE MACON
Disney is rebooting Home Alone and Night at the Museum for its new TV streaming service, which launches in the US in November and is intended to rival Netflix.
The beloved and high-grossing film franchises were acquired by Disney during its takeover of 21st Century Fox.
Chief executive Bob Iger said Disney was “focused on leveraging Fox’s vast library of great titles … for example reimagining Home Alone, Night at the Museum, Cheaper by the Dozen, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid for a new generation on Disney+.”
“Nothing is more important to us than getting this right,” he added in an earnings call Tuesday.
Home Alone. Picture: 20th Century Fox
He did not clarify whether the new versions would be feature films or television programs.
The three Home Alone films that received theatrical releases together grossed $914.8 million at the global box office, not adjusted for inflation.
The 1990 original, in which eight-year-old Kevin McCallister is accidentally left behind when his family goes on vacation and must defend his home from inept burglars, is widely seen as a classic Christmas family movie.
No casting details have been announced for the remake. Macaulay Culkin, who as a child actor starred in the original, tweeted Wednesday: “Hey Disney, call me!”
Ben Stiller’s Night at the Museum trilogy, about a museum security guard trying to keep track of exhibits that come to life, has grossed over $1.35 billion worldwide.
Night at the Museum 3. Picture: 20th Century Fox
Both movie franchises will be part of the Disney+ service’s original content in a crowded TV streaming marketplace soon to feature HBO Max, Apple and NBCUniversal platforms as well as Amazon Prime.
Disney also owns Marvel Studios, which recently unveiled a slate of new superhero films and TV shows that will share characters and plot lines, blurring the line between the media.
Former Fox superhero movie franchises including X-Men, Fantastic 4 and Deadpool will now come under the Marvel umbrella, Iger said, adding that parent company Disney sees “great long-term value” in the titles.
After launching in the US on November 12 at a starting price of $6.99 (R106) monthly, Disney+ will gradually expand internationally with a start in Europe.
It will launch with 300 movies including its Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel titles.
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
For more news your way
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
