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IMDbPro

Chris Columbus(I)

  • Producer
  • Writer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Chris Columbus
A nerdy valedictorian proclaims his love for the most popular girl in school, Beth Cooper (Panettiere), during his graduation speech. Much to his surprise, Beth shows up at his door that very night and decides to show him the night of his life.
Play trailer2:30
I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)
14 Videos
27 Photos
Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Ohio, Chris Columbus was first inspired to make movies after seeing "The Godfather" at age 15. After enrolling at NYU film school, he sold his first screenplay (never produced) while a sophomore there. After graduation Columbus tried to sell his fourth script, "Gremlins", with no success, until Steven Spielberg optioned it; Columbus moved to Los Angeles for a year during rewrites on the project in Spielberg's bungalow at Universal. After writing two more scripts for Spielberg, "The Goonies" and "Young Sherlock Holmes", Columbus' own directing career was launched a few years later with "Adventures in Babysitting". He is best known to audiences as the director of the runaway hit "Home Alone", written and produced by John Hughes its sequel "Home Alone 2", and most recently "Mrs. Doubtfire".
BornSeptember 10, 1958
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornSeptember 10, 1958
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar
    • 6 wins & 21 nominations total

Photos27

Chris Columbus in Pixels (2015)
Chris Columbus in Charlie Rose (1991)
Chris Columbus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Chris Columbus in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
Chris Columbus and David Keith in Heartbreak Hotel (1988)
Chris Columbus and Charlie Schlatter in Heartbreak Hotel (1988)
Chris Columbus in Stepmom (1998)
Chris Columbus in I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)
Chris Columbus and Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Macaulay Culkin and Chris Columbus in Home Alone (1990)
Chris Columbus, Rosario Dawson, and Adam Pascal in Rent (2005)
Chris Columbus and Rosario Dawson in Rent (2005)

Known for

Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Harris, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
7.6
  • Producer
  • 2001
Rupert Grint, Toby Jones, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
7.4
  • Producer
  • 2002
Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, and Emma Stone in The Help (2011)
The Help
8.1
  • Producer
  • 2011
Rent (2005)
Rent
6.8
  • Producer(produced by)
  • 2005

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Producer

  • Chupa
    • producer
    • Post-production
    • 2023
  • Gremlins 3
    • executive producer
    • In Development
  • House of Secrets
    • producer
    • Pre-production
    • TV Series
  • Nosferatu
    • producer
    • In Production
  • Steve Zahn, Dee Bradley Baker, Thomas Lennon, Zachary Levi, Joseph Kamal, Kieran Sequoia, Jack Whitehall, Kelemete Misipeka, Alice Isaaz, Alexander Salamat, and Joshua Bassett in Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again (2022)
    Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again
    • executive producer
    • 2022
  • Christine Choy in The Exiles (2022)
    The Exiles
    • executive producer
    • 2022
  • Cusp (2021)
    Cusp
    • executive producer
    • 2021
  • Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020)
    The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two
    • producer (p.g.a.)
    • 2020
  • Scoob! (2020)
    Scoob!
    • executive producer
    • 2020
  • Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson in The Lighthouse (2019)
    The Lighthouse
    • executive producer
    • 2019
  • Natalia Dyer in Yes, God, Yes (2019)
    Yes, God, Yes
    • executive producer
    • 2019
  • Kurt Russell in The Christmas Chronicles (2018)
    The Christmas Chronicles
    • producer (p.g.a.)
    • 2018
  • Madison Wolfe in I Kill Giants (2017)
    I Kill Giants
    • producer (produced by)
    • 2017
  • Menashe Lustig in Menashe (2017)
    Menashe
    • executive producer
    • 2017
  • Patti Cake$ (2017)
    Patti Cake$
    • producer
    • 2017
  • French Exchange (2017)
    French Exchange
    • executive producer
    • Short
    • 2017
  • The Young Messiah (2016)
    The Young Messiah
    • producer (produced by)
    • 2016
  • Tallulah (2016)
    Tallulah
    • producer
    • 2016
  • It Had to Be You (2015)
    It Had to Be You
    • executive producer
    • 2015

Writer

  • The Goonies 2
    • characters
    • In Development
    • 2027
  • Gremlins 3
    • characters
    • In Development
  • House of Secrets
    • book, screenplay
    • Pre-production
    • TV Series
  • Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020)
    The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two
    • written by
    • 2020
  • Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tim Allen, and Erik Per Sullivan in Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
    Christmas with the Kranks
    • screenplay
    • 2004
  • Michel Leeb in Madame Doubtfire (2003)
    Madame Doubtfire
    • from the movie 'Mrs Doubtfire'
    • TV Movie
    • 2003
  • Gremlins: Stripe Versus Gizmo (2002)
    Gremlins: Stripe Versus Gizmo
    • characters
    • Video Game
    • 2002
  • Gremlins: Unleashed!
    • characters
    • Video Game
    • 2001
  • Julianne Moore and Hugh Grant in Nine Months (1995)
    Nine Months
    • screenplay
    • 1995
  • Maureen O'Hara, Ally Sheedy, and John Candy in Only the Lonely (1991)
    Only the Lonely
    • written by
    • 1991
  • Howie Mandel in Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
    Gremlins 2: The New Batch
    • based on characters created by
    • 1990
  • Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989)
    Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland
    • screenplay
    • 1989
  • Heartbreak Hotel (1988)
    Heartbreak Hotel
    • written by
    • 1988
  • Sean Astin and Anne Ramsey in The Goonies II (1987)
    The Goonies II
    • characters
    • Video Game
    • 1987
  • Galaxy High School (1986)
    Galaxy High School
    • developer
    • writer (creator)
    • TV Series
    • 1986
  • Gremlins (1985)
    Gremlins
    • characters
    • Video Game
    • 1985
  • Sophie Ward, Alan Cox, and Nicholas Rowe in Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
    Young Sherlock Holmes
    • screenplay
    • 1985
  • Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Kerri Green, and Ke Huy Quan in The Goonies (1985)
    The Goonies
    • screenplay by
    • 1985

Director

  • The Secret Lives of Road Crews
    • Director (rumored)
    • In Development
  • House of Secrets
    • Director
    • Pre-production
    • TV Series
  • Miraculous
    • Director
    • In Production
  • Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020)
    The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two
    • Director
    • 2020
  • Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, and Josh Gad in Pixels (2015)
    Pixels
    • Director
    • 2015
  • Applebaum
    • Director
    • TV Movie
    • 2012
  • Logan Lerman in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
    Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief: Deleted Scenes
    • Director
    • Video
    • 2010
  • Logan Lerman in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
    Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
    • Director
    • 2010
  • I Love You, Beth Cooper: Deleted Scenes (2009)
    I Love You, Beth Cooper: Deleted Scenes
    • Director
    • Video
    • 2009
  • I Love You, Beth Cooper: Alternate Ending (2009)
    I Love You, Beth Cooper: Alternate Ending
    • Director
    • Video
    • 2009
  • Hayden Panettiere and Paul Rust in I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)
    I Love You, Beth Cooper
    • Director
    • 2009
  • 3-D Rocks
    • Director
    • 2005
  • Rent (2005)
    Rent
    • Director
    • 2005
  • Rupert Grint, Toby Jones, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
    Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
    • Director
    • 2002
  • Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Harris, Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    • Director (directed by)
    • 2001
  • Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man (1999)
    Bicentennial Man
    • Director
    • 1999
  • Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon in Stepmom (1998)
    Stepmom
    • Director
    • 1998
  • Julianne Moore and Hugh Grant in Nine Months (1995)
    Nine Months
    • Director
    • 1995
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos14

'Home Alone': 5 Things You Didn't Know
Clip 3:02
'Home Alone': 5 Things You Didn't Know
I Love You, Beth Cooper -- "That's Not Food"
Clip 1:06
I Love You, Beth Cooper -- "That's Not Food"
I Love You, Beth Cooper -- "Crashing the Party"
Clip 0:56
I Love You, Beth Cooper -- "Crashing the Party"
I Love You, Beth Cooper -- "Lights Out"
Clip 0:55
I Love You, Beth Cooper -- "Lights Out"
I Love You, Beth Cooper -- "I Thought You Were Smart"
Clip 1:00
I Love You, Beth Cooper -- "I Thought You Were Smart"
I Love You, Beth Cooper -- "I Love You, Beth Cooper"
Clip 1:06
I Love You, Beth Cooper -- "I Love You, Beth Cooper"
Adventures in Babysitting: 25th Anniversary Edition
Clip 0:56
Adventures in Babysitting: 25th Anniversary Edition
Official Trailer
Trailer 1:58
Official Trailer
Sing Along Trailer
Trailer 1:10
Sing Along Trailer
I Love You, Beth Cooper
Trailer 2:30
I Love You, Beth Cooper
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland
Trailer 2:08
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Trailer 0:32
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Personal details

Edit
  • Height
    • 5′ 8½″ (1.74 m)
  • Born
    • September 10, 1958
    • Spangler, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Spouse
    • Monica DevereuxAugust 6, 1983 - present (4 children)
  • Children
      Eleanor Columbus
  • Parents
      Irene Columbus
  • Other works
    In 1995, Columbus also wrote a draft of the fourth Indiana Jones film, Indiana Jones and the Lost Continent (2001)
  • Publicity listings
    • 4 Interviews
    • 4 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    In the original script, Gremlins (1984) was meant to be a much darker horror film in which the mother was decapitated, the family dog was eaten, and the adorable Mogwai "Gizmo" actually turned into the infamous Gremlin "Stripe".
  • Quotes
    I was up on 140th Street in Harlem, in 1992. It was 3 in the morning, and I was walking back to get a cup of coffee. These two young kids came up to me and said to me, "What movie is this?" I said, "Home Alone 2," and they said, "What do you do?" And I said, "I'm the director." They said, "Oh, you're John Hughes!"
  • Trademarks
      Leading characters who are underage and develops through situations
  • Salary
    • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
      (2001)
      $10,000,000 + gross participations

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