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