The Macaulay Culkin (now an acclaimed American Horror Story actor) as 10-year-old Kevin McCallister, a mischievous and clever kid who is accidentally forgotten at home while his family heads to for Christmas vacation. Kevin is then tasked with defending his home as a duo of thieves attempt to rob his house.
The first two movies of the franchise with the original cast are still well-regarded today, but Fox did unsuccessfully make three follow-ups that didn’t land with audiences. Following their last unfruitful attempt at a Home Alone remake in 2012, it seemed like the franchise would possibly be retired. That changed when Disney+ announced in 2019 that another reboot film was on its way, starring child actor Archie Yates (Jojo Rabbit) in the lead role as he’s left home by his parents on Christmas vacation. The drama escalates when a married couple (played by Rob Delaney and Ellie Kemper) devise to steal the family’s priceless heirloom. The reboot is following a similar premise of the last few installations, but with a few key changes: A recognizable cast and cameos from the original Home Alone actors reprising their roles.
While it's been confirmed that Macaulay Culkin won't reprise his role as Kevin McCallister for a cameo in Home Sweet Home Alone, the reboot trailer still gives fans a different look at a familiar face: Devin Ratray as Buzz McCallister. Just as Kevin was the heart of the first two Home Alone movies, Buzz played an extremely important role as the bullying older brother whose antagonism and (rare) brotherly love played into Kevin’s dual anger and affection for his large family, which is why it’s so fun that he’s back. The Home Alone reboot’s trailer quickly shows a 30-years-older Buzz McCallister as a police officer who gets called in to check out suspicious individuals in a wealthy neighborhood.
In an ironic twist for how Buzz McCallister was portrayed as a kid and teenager in Home Alone, he grew up to become a Chicago police officer. Since Buzz was a troublemaker who was pretty manipulative with those around him, especially Kevin, and liked to see others get into trouble, it’s strange that he’s now in a career where he helps keep people out of mischief. At the same time, it’s not the most surprising career choice, since Buzz was someone who enjoyed asserting his authority over his younger siblings and family . It’s long been a trope in television and film where characters who were bullies as kids become police officers as adults in order to continue their positions of power over others, but it’s hopeful that Kevin McCallister's traumatic battles with criminals in Home Alone led Buzz to become a policeman for more sympathetic reasons.
The irony of Buzz becoming a police officer goes even further for the Home Alone reboot, as Kevin’s older brother is now playing the role of the policeman who previously did nothing to help Kevin at home or actually stop the criminals. Since Buzz had to go through seeing his brother get left alone and defend himself from robbers not once, but twice at Christmastime, it’s likely Buzz will actually play a more present and helpful role trying to stop the criminals in the reboot. At the very least, it’ll be fun to see Devin Ratray bring back his character’s hilarious dynamic in Home Sweet Home Alone.
