"Home Alone" Trilogy - VHS Release (1991-1997)

Home Alone: On November 16th, 1990, the iconic Christmas film, Home Alone was released in U.S. theaters. Written and produced by John Hughes, it is the first film in the franchise, and starred Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, and Catherine O'Hara. Warner Bros. was originally intended to finance the film, but they soon backed out once the film exceeded its assigned budget. Home Alone premiered in Chicago on November 10th, 1990 and was released to theaters on November 16th. Although critic reviews were initially mixed, the critics generally had positive reviews in the later years. The film grossed $476.7 million worldwide, and became the highest-grossing live-action comedy until the release of The Hangover Part II in 2011. 

Home Alone 2: On November 15th, 1992, the iconic holiday classic, Home Alone 2 was released in the United States. The film was directed by Chris Columbus, and served as the sequel to Home Alone (1990). The film starred most of the same actors from the first film, including Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, and Catherine O'Hara. John Hughes, who wrote the film, finished the script in February 1991, and filming began in December of that year. Upon release in theaters, Home Alone 2 received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances, but criticized the violence. The film grossed over $359 million worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 1992. 

Home Alone 3: On December 12th, 1997, Home Alone 3 was released to U.S. theaters. Co-produced by John Hughes, it was the only film in the Home Alone franchise to not take place during Christmas, and the first to not to feature Macaulay Culkin and director Chris Columbus. The film was the last of the Home Alone films to receive a theatrical release, and received mixed to negative views during its initial run, with critics praising main actor Alex Linz’s performance, but criticizing the films differences from the previous films, like the themes and cast. The film grossed $79.1 million at the box office. It was followed by a made for TV sequel, Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House in 2002.