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Chris Columbus

Highest Rated: 100% Music by John Williams (2024)

Lowest Rated: 5% Christmas With the Kranks (2004)

Birthday: Sep 10, 1958

Birthplace: Spangler, Pennsylvania, USA

One of the more successful filmmakers to come from the Spielberg school of genre moviemaking, writer-director Chris Columbus emerged as a specialist in combining a sensitivity for young people's feelings with a rousing adventure yarn. Columbus entered Hollywood by way of screenwriting with his script for "Gremlins" (1984) being shepherded by Spielberg, who soon became a mentor to the young scribe. After writing the scripts for "The Goonies" (1985) and "Young Sherlock Holmes" (1985), he made his directing debut with the mild family comedy "Adventures in Babysitting" (1987). Columbus entered the realm of blockbuster filmmaker with "Home Alone" (1990), arguably one of the most successful film comedies of all time. Following the sequel "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992), he had another hit with the Robin Williams vehicle "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993), which placed Columbus at the top of Hollywood's list of commercial hitmakers. Despite his overwhelming commercial success, Columbus struggled to earn the respect of critics, many of whom complained that he tended to overly sentimentalize his work by finding simple happy solutions to complicated problems. He typified such criticisms with "Bicentennial Man" (1999), which descended into cheap sentiment after a promising start. Columbus next tackled the incredibly difficult task of bring "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001) to life on the big screen. Faithfully adapting that novel and the sequel "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002), Columbus helped launch what became one of the most commercially successful franchises in cinema history. Though he faded to the background with "Rent" (2005) and "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" (2010), Columbus remained one of Hollywood's most bankable commercial directors.

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Highest rated movies

100% 98% Music by John Williams Watchlist 95% 65% Menashe Watchlist 94% Nosferatu Watchlist 93% 86% Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts Watchlist 92% 64% Yes, God, Yes Watchlist 91% 60% The Witch Watchlist 90% 53% Mediterranea Watchlist
90% 86% Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Watchlist
90% 72% The Lighthouse Watchlist
88% 74% Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
94% No Score Yet Nosferatu Producer - 2024
100% 98% Music by John Williams Self - 2024
71% 58% Chupa Producer - 2023
93% 86% Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts Self - 2022
86% No Score Yet The Exiles Executive Producer - 2022
86% 33% Cusp Executive Producer - 2021
66% 44% The Christmas Chronicles 2 Director,
Screenwriter,
Producer
- 2020
48% 53% SCOOB! Executive Producer - 2020
92% 64% Yes, God, Yes Executive Producer - 2019
90% 72% The Lighthouse Executive Producer $10.9M 2019
67% 76% The Christmas Chronicles Producer - 2018
78% 74% I Kill Giants Producer - 2017
86% 78% Patti Cake$ Producer $774.5K 2017
95% 65% Menashe Executive Producer $1.7M 2017
50% 66% The Young Messiah Producer $6.5M 2016
60% 44% It Had to Be You Executive Producer $5.3K 2015
91% 60% The Witch Executive Producer $25.1M 2015
90% 53% Mediterranea Producer $5.8K 2015
18% 46% Pixels Director,
Producer
$78.7M 2015
56% 29% Little Accidents Executive Producer $10.1K 2014
48% 57% Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Producer $113.6M 2014
43% 54% Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Executive Producer $68.5M 2013
76% 89% The Help Producer $169.7M 2011
48% 53% Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Director,
Producer
$88.8M 2010
13% 32% I Love You, Beth Cooper Director,
Producer
$14.8M 2009
43% 47% Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Producer $177.2M 2009
37% 51% Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Executive Producer $131.9M 2007
60% 55% Fog City Mavericks Unknown (Character) - 2007
42% 67% Night at the Museum Producer $113.7M 2006
47% 83% Rent Director $29.0M 2005
88% 74% Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Executive Producer $290.0M 2005
27% 45% Fantastic Four Producer $154.7M 2005
5% 39% Christmas With the Kranks Screenwriter,
Producer
$73.7M 2004
90% 86% Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Producer $249.4M 2004
82% 80% Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Director,
Executive Producer
$262.0M 2002
80% 82% Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Director,
Executive Producer
$317.9M 2001
20% 27% Monkeybone Executive Producer $5.4M 2001
37% 59% Bicentennial Man Director,
Producer
$58.2M 1999
44% 75% Stepmom Director,
Producer
$91.0M 1998
20% 41% Jingle All the Way Producer $60.6M 1996
27% 37% Nine Months Director,
Producer,
Screenwriter
$67.9M 1995
71% 77% Mrs. Doubtfire Director $219.2M 1993
55% 84% Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland Writer $1.4M 1992
35% 62% Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Director $172.7M 1992
65% 50% Only the Lonely Director,
Writer
$19.9M 1991
66% 80% Home Alone Director $281.5M 1990
38% 49% Heartbreak Hotel Director,
Screenwriter
$5.4M 1988
72% 70% Adventures in Babysitting Director - 1987
71% 63% Young Sherlock Holmes Screenwriter $18.1M 1985
77% 91% The Goonies Screenwriter $935.0K 1985
86% 78% Gremlins Writer - 1984

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 89% 3 Executive Producer 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet Galaxy High School Creator,
Writer
1986