Home Alone 2 Director Says Donald Trump Bullied His Way Into Film

Chris Columbus has made many popular movies throughout his career, including the first two Harry Potter films, Adventures in Babysitting, Mrs. Doubtfire, and more. However, when we think of Columbus, the movies that first come to mind are Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The sequel is almost as beloved as the first, but it’s become a bit of a meme over the course of Donald Trump‘s presidency due to his infamous cameo. You’ve probably seen the image of Trump with Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister many times. Well, in a recent interview with Insider, Columbus shared some behind-the-scenes details about the movie moment.

“Like most locations in New York City, you just pay a fee and you are allowed to shoot in that location. We approached The Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time, because we wanted to shoot in the lobby. We couldn’t rebuild The Plaza on a soundstage,” Columbia explained. “Trump said OK. We paid the fee, but he also said, ‘The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie.’ So we agreed to put him in the movie, and when we screened it for the first time the oddest thing happened: People cheered when Trump showed up on-screen. So I said to my editor, ‘Leave him in the movie. It’s a moment for the audience.’ But he did bully his way into the movie.”

While Columbus is not involved with the upcoming Home Alone reboot, the director did helm Netflix’s upcoming movie The Christmas Chronicles 2 starring Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. This marks the first movie directed by Columbus since 2015’s Pixels. However, he has served as an Executive Producer on a lot of recent films, including Scoob!, The Lighthouse, and The Witch. He also served as a producer on the first The Christmas Chronicles. You can check out the official synopsis for The Christmas Chronicles 2 below.

“It’s been two years since siblings Kate (Darby Camp) and Teddy Pierce (Judah Lewis) saved Christmas, and a lot has changed. Kate, now a cynical teenager, is reluctantly spending Christmas in Cancun with her mom’s new boyfriend and his son Jack (Jahzir Bruno). Unwilling to accept this new version of her family, Kate decides to run away. But when a mysterious, magical troublemaker named Belsnickel threatens to destroy the North Pole and end Christmas for good, Kate and Jack are unexpectedly pulled into a new adventure with Santa Claus (Kurt Russell). Written and directed by Chris Columbus and co-starring Goldie Hawn, THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES 2 is an action-packed adventure for the whole family that’s full of heart, humor, and holiday spirit.”

The Christmas Chronicles 2 hits Netflix on November 25th