The director of Home alone says he almost made another iconic holiday movie – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – but eventually walked away after a run-in with the film’s star, actor Chevy Chase.

In conversation with Vanity FairDirector Chris Columbus said he has already taken over directing duties Christmas Vacationwhich was released in 1989 and had begun filming when he first met Chase.

“I was registered… and Then I met Chevy Chase. Even given my situation at the time, where I desperately needed to make a film, I realized I couldn’t work with the guy,” Columbus told the outlet. “I was one of many who couldn’t work with him.”

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Columbus added that his first face-to-face meeting with the actor resulted in a bizarre interaction.

“He had to know I was directing the film. I talked about how I saw the film and how I wanted to make it. He didn’t say anything. I talked for about half an hour. “He didn’t say a word,” Columbus said. “And then he stops and says – and that doesn’t make any sense to anyone on the planet, but I’m telling you. “I’ve probably never told this story before. Forty minutes into the meeting he says, ‘Wait a minute.’ You’re the director?’ And I said, “Yeah… I’m directing the movie.” And he said something unreal and bizarre to me. I still couldn’t make sense of it. He said, ‘Oh, I thought you were a drummer.’ I said, ‘Uhh, okay.’ Let’s start talking about the movie again.’ After about 30 seconds he said, “I have to go.” ”

The two later met again, this time with the film’s producer John Hughes, although Columbus said he was “basically non-existent” as the two exchanged stories.

“We spent two hours together, and when I left dinner I thought, ‘There’s no way I can make a movie with this guy,'” Columbus said Vanity Fair. “First of all, he’s not engaged. He treats me like a bastard. I don’t need that. I’d rather not work again. I’d rather write… Who says something like that to anyone? It makes no sense. So there’s almost no point in telling this story, but it actually happened. I thought: This is how we’re going to work together? I’ll be on set and he won’t listen.”

So Columbus called Hughes and said he was leaving the film.

“I called John and said, ‘This is really hard for me, but I can’t do this movie with Chevy Chase.’ ”

As it turns out, the move was a happy accident that eventually led Columbus to embark on another holiday film project: Home alone.

“I give up Christmas Vacation. The next weekend I got another script from John – and this is it Home alone. Home alone“For me it was more personal, a better script,” Columbus said. “And I thought I could really do something with this and not have to deal with Chevy Chase.”

Chase has previously dismissed reports that he was difficult to work with, saying in a 2022 interview: “I am who I am. And I like… who I am. I don’t care. And it’s a part of me that I don’t care. And I’ve thought about it a lot… I just don’t care.