Chris Columbus

Born: 1958-09-10

Chris Joseph Columbus (born September 10, 1958) is an American filmmaker. Born in Spangler, Pennsylvania, Columbus studied film at Tisch School of the Arts where he developed an interest in filmmaking. After writing screenplays for several teen comedies in the mid-1980s, he made his directorial debut with a teen adventure, Adventures in Babysitting (1987). Columbus gained recognition soon after with the highly successful Christmas comedy Home Alone (1990) and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). The comedy Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), starring Robin Williams, was another box office success for Columbus. He went on to direct several other films throughout the 1990s, which were mostly met with lukewarm reception. However, he found commercial success again for directing the film adaptations of J. K. Rowling's novels, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and its sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), which are his highest-grossing films to date. In addition to directing, Columbus was a producer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), and the drama The Help (2011). He also directed the fantasy Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) and the 3D action comedy Pixels (2015). Columbus is the co-founder of 1492 Pictures, a film production company that has produced some of his films since 1995. More recently, he co-founded another production firm with his daughter in 2014, called Maiden Voyage Pictures. In 2017, he launched ZAG Animation Studios, alongside Michael Barnathan, Haim Saban, and Jeremy Zag.


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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

as Man in Toy Store (uncredited)
Released: 1992-11-15

Instead of flying to Florida with his folks, Kevin ends up alone in New York, where he gets a...

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Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

as Self
Released: 2022-01-01

An enchanting making-of story told through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations,...

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Showbiz Kids

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2020-07-14

A documentary chronicling the shared experiences of prominent former child stars and the...

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David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2023-11-16

As Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the Harry Potter films, David Holmes’ work has been seen...

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The Magic Touch of Harry Potter

as Self
Released: 2004-06-11

A 2004 documentary on the first three “Harry Potter” films detailing the behind-the-scenes...

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Daniel Radcliffe: Being Harry Potter

as Self
Released: 2012-10-10

Made-for-television documentary about Daniel Radcliffe and his role as Harry Potter.

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Fog City Mavericks

as Himself
Released: 2007-10-24

Fog City Mavericks: The Filmmakers of San Francisco is a compelling exploration of the legendary...

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Cute. Clever. Mischievous. Intelligent. Dangerous: Making Gremlins

as Self
Released: 2014-09-30

This new retrospective features new interviews with director Joe Dante, star Zach Galligan,...

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From Gizmo to Gremlins: Creating the Creatures

as Self
Released: 2014-09-30

Chris Walas and Howie Mandel, the voice of Gizmo, describe the laborious development of Gizmo...

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The Movies That Made Us

as Self
First aired: 2019-11-29

These blockbusters brought us together and gave us the time of our lives. Meet the actors,...

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100 Years of Warner Bros.

as Self
First aired: 2023-05-25

Tracing a century of movie and TV history, these four documentary specials explore the...

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Reunited Apart

as Self
First aired: 2020-04-27

Josh Gad reunites the cast and crews of various classic movies, and discusses the the films in...

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