Chris Columbus

At one point, was attached to direct Fantastic Four (2005).

During its early stages of production, he was originally attached to direct Daredevil (2003).

Considered directing Spider-Man (2002), however passed that up to direct Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001).

Financially, his two greatest successes were Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).

Nine Months (1995) derived from Columbus wanting to tell the world about fatherhood.

Before making Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Columbus had already seen Robin Williams in comedy clubs in Los Angeles.

Had a cameo in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) as a man in the toy store. He was holding his daughter Eleanor Columbus.

When casting the role of Kevin McCallister in Home Alone (1990), Columbus had already seen Macaulay Culkin in Uncle Buck (1989) but he wanted to audition some other kids first while John Hughes had his heart set on Culkin. So Columbus met Culkin in New York and was very charmed by him and thought he was fantastic. Columbus auditioned five other kids and none of them shaped up to Culkin. Columbus went with Culkin because he was not as picture perfect and he had an instant relatability to the kids in the audience. Columbus knew the cameras would love him and he was immensely funny.

At one time lived in River Forest, Illinois which shares a high school with the suburb, Oak Park, in which Adventures in Babysitting (1987) was based. Oak Park and River Forest High School's name was changed for the movie, however, to Hemingway High because Ernest Hemingway went there. They kept the style of the high school's jackets for the film, however.

The novelization for Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) uses the word omen; Richard Donner directed the The Omen (1976) and The Goonies (1985) the same year as Holmes, and both were scripted by Columbus.

Gremlins (1984), Columbus's fourth script, was written as a dark satire of It's A Wonderful Life (1946).

Columbus is a big James Bond fan and he was crushed when Pierce Brosnan didn't get cast when he was offered the part during the making of Remington Steele (1982) but they wouldn't release him from his contract. When they worked together on Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Columbus told Brosnan he'd make a great James Bond but he thought that ship had sailed. In 1995, MGM called Columbus telling him they're looking for the next James Bond and Brosnan was one of the choices so Columbus recommended him; his little contribution to the James Bond saga.

Back in the early 1980s, Columbus lived in a loft on 26th Street in Manhattan. He threw down the key to his girlfriend who later became his wife.

Started going to the movies at age 10 on Saturday afternoons; one of the first was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). It gave him an escape from the dreary factory town he lived in.

A big fan of Marvel Comics as a child in the 1960s, he was especially impressed with the artwork because it was almost the same as filmmaking. He later moved to New York because Marvel Comics were largely set there. He wanted to write or draw for Marvel but decided against it because it's an isolated existence and he liked working with people. Columbus drew comic book panels in his basement like early storyboards as a child. When he later directed Adventures in Babysitting (1987), one of the characters, Sara is also a big Marvel fan.