When Home Alone hit theaters in 1990, it was an absolute monster. It made over $476 million worldwide, which was bonkers for a family comedy. Young Macaulay was paid a flat fee of $100,000 for the first movie. Not bad for a kid who was just trying to outrun Joe Pesci!
But here’s the kicker: he did not negotiate a piece of the merchandise or video sales for that first film. Ouch. That’s like setting up a booby trap but forgetting to load the paint cans. He was a kid, and his family was… well, let’s just say they weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed.
For the sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, he got a massive raise. We’re talking $4.5 million upfront. That’s more like it! But again, his share of the long-term royalties was locked in a specific contract. So, what about those yearly checks?
So, What’s the Actual Number?
Here’s where the rumor mill gets loud. You’ve probably heard the urban legend that Macaulay makes a million dollars every Christmas. Let’s pop that balloon right now. The reality is far more modest, though still impressive to us common folks.
Industry insiders and Macaulay himself have hinted that his annual residuals from the Home Alone franchise are somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 per year. Wait, put down your tar and feathers. That’s not a million, but it’s also not chump change. It’s basically a nice, steady bonus that pays for a lifetime of prank supplies and pigeon lady snacks.
Does Macaulay Culkin get royalties from Home Alone? - Insight Horizon Media
Why so “low”? Because the big money from royalties usually comes from home video sales (VHS, DVD, Blu-ray) and TV broadcast rights. Those contracts were signed long ago, when nobody knew this movie would become a century-spanning, evergreen holiday classic. Sadly, a lot of that cash went to the studio, not the kid with the wet bandana.
