It had begun with fan favourite films, Dumbo, Aladdin and most recently The Lion King but as Disney gears up for the launch of its new streaming service Disney+ later this year, the film giant is continuing its run of “reimagined” films. Announced overnight, Disney will remake everyone’s favourite holiday special, Home Alone as well as Night At The Museum, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Cheaper By The Dozen. 

The Christmas comedy starring Macaulay Culkin was originally released back in 1990 and has only dated as far as the style – elsewhere it is a beloved film you can’t see to escape come December. The storyline follows 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin)  after he acts out the night before a family trip to Paris. His mother (Catherine O’Hara) makes him sleep in the attic and after the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house. The remake is said to be for the new streaming service, however the format is not yet known.

In response to the news, the original star took to Twitter with a comedic post and followed with, “Hey @Disney, call me!”.

While fans are jumping on board with the remake as it joins the likes of The Lion King, is it really necessary to reimagine the millennial’s most loved films? While it will garner plenty of interest, I remain sceptical – at least for now. But if the world of 2019 remakes proves anything, it’s a billion-dollar cash grab.

“So far this year we’ve released five of the top six movies,” Iger told a conference call with investors, according to BBC. “Including four which have generated more than a billion dollars in global box office.”

In addition to the slated remakes, the forthcoming platform will also boast content from the Star Wars and Marvel franchises as it merges with 20th Century Fox. Content will reportedly span across more than 7,500 episodes of TV and 400 movies.

As Hollywood favours a continual trend of prequels, sequels and remakes it begs to ask the question, is originality dead? I don’t believe so, but a sluggish box office is begging for new storylines.

Stay tuned for further developments.