Chris Columbus

19 films directed

Biography

Christopher Joseph Columbus (born September 10, 1958) is an American filmmaker. Born in Spangler, Pennsylvania, Columbus studied film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where he developed an interest in filmmaking. After writing screenplays for several teen comedies in the mid-1980s, including Gremlins, The Goonies, and Young Sherlock Holmes, 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 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 by 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). In addition to directing, Columbus was a producer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), as well as 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. Columbus is also known for his collaboration with composer John Williams, with whom he had worked on the film Home Alone and the film series Harry Potter.

Most directed genres

Recurring actors

The career in numbers

US$ 719 mi Total budget from 13 film(s) with data
US$ 4.1 bi Total box office from 14 film(s) with data
US$ 55 mi Average budget from 13 film(s) with data
US$ 296 mi Average box office from 14 film(s) with data
6.8 Average rating from 16 film(s) with data
5.7× Return on investment from 13 film(s) with data

Budget and box office do not exist for every film in our records. Averages are computed over the films that carry the figure, and the count beside each one says how many.

Films directed

Film	Year	Budget	Box office	Rating
Gremlins 3	2027	—	—	—
The Thursday Murder Club	2025	—	—	6.6
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two	2020	—	—	6.5
Pixels	2015	US$ 88 mi	US$ 245 mi	5.8
Applebaum	2012	—	—	—
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief	2010	US$ 95 mi	US$ 226 mi	6.2
I Love You, Beth Cooper	2009	US$ 18 mi	US$ 15 mi	6.0
Rent	2005	US$ 40 mi	US$ 32 mi	6.8
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	2002	US$ 100 mi	US$ 877 mi	7.7
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone	2001	US$ 125 mi	US$ 1.0 bi	7.9
Bicentennial Man	1999	US$ 100 mi	US$ 87 mi	7.3
Stepmom	1998	US$ 50 mi	US$ 160 mi	7.2
Nine Months	1995	US$ 35 mi	US$ 139 mi	5.7
Mrs. Doubtfire	1993	US$ 25 mi	US$ 441 mi	7.2
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York	1992	US$ 18 mi	US$ 359 mi	6.8
Only the Lonely	1991	—	US$ 25 mi	6.2
Home Alone	1990	US$ 18 mi	US$ 477 mi	7.5
Heartbreak Hotel	1988	—	—	5.1
Adventures in Babysitting	1987	US$ 7 mi	US$ 34 mi	6.9