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Scarlett Johansson’s Forgotten ‘Home Alone’ Sequel Went Full ‘Die Hard’ Before Running Franchise Into the Ground

Daniel Avila |

Scarlett Johansson gained global recognition for playing the role of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. She is not new to the action genre but before gaining prominence for the same, she has been acclaimed for her work as a child and teen actor. During her teens, she played the role in a forgotten 1997 film, Home Alone 3.

Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow

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The Home Alone series was quite popular, however, the success was never the same. The third movie, which can be considered a fair project, was in Die Hard mode before the franchise eventually faced a major downfall.

Scarlett Johansson’s Home Alone 3 Felt Like Die Hard

Alex D. Linz in Home Alone 3
Alex D. Linz in Home Alone 3

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Home Alone 3 is quite different from its predecessors which featured quite a different cast from the original ones. It was the first film in the Home Alone series to not feature actor Macaulay Culkin who played Kevin McCallister (lead child protagonist) in the first two movies. However, the third installment follows Alex D. Linz’s Alex Pruitt in the lead role who defends his house from criminals. Joining Linz was young Scarlett Johansson, who showcased her promising career at quite a young age. While the Christmas comedy series follows the same story of trapping a child in an enclosed space to face them off with criminals, the third movie felt quite much like Bruce Willis’s 1988 movie which also had a similar plot. Given that Culkin’s presence was surely felt, the movie also lacked the guidance of director, Chris Columbus, and composer John Williams.Culkin’s absence for a third sequel entirely changed the franchise, leading to a reboot featuring Linz however, it still managed to earn a fair box-office earnings. However, it was fairly less than what the predecessors accumulated during their box-office run. It also marked the last movie in the franchise to get a theatrical release, which was forgotten soon by the audience.After that, two more movies were added to the franchise which closed the doors for the franchise to revive its popularity again – Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House and Home Alone: The Holiday Heist. While it was forgotten as time went by, the third installment surely displayed the potential the MCU alum held given her age.

Scarlett Johansson Did Justice to Her Molly Pruitt Character in Home Alone 3

Scarlett Johansson in Home Alone 3
Scarlett Johansson in Home Alone 3

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She played the role of Molly Pruitt, Alex’s older sister in Home Alone 3. While their role perfectly displays the typical sibling bond, the character turns out to be a hidden gem later in the movie. Her sincerity in reflecting every emotion of what her character felt made her stand out despite having a supporting role. While this role was not something that gave her a significant push in the acting world, it did strengthen her portfolio by bringing out her potential as a then-promising star.

While the movie was unable to recreate the same success as its predecessors, it is safe to say that her character, Molly, has surely contributed to making it what it is as a cinematic classic.

Home Alone movies are available to stream on Starz.

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