Known for Directing
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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Chris Columbus, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Born
September 10, 1958 (age 68)
Birthplace
Spangler, Pennsylvania, USA
Filmography
96 films, 5 shows
showing 20 of 21 films


The Thursday Murder Club
2025 · 1h 58m
country: United States
A group of senior sleuths passionate about solving cold cases get plunged into a real-life murder mystery in this comic crime caper.


The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two
2020 · 1h 52m
country: United States
Kate Pierce is reluctantly spending Christmas with her mom’s new boyfriend and his son Jack. But when the North Pole and Christmas are threatened to be destroyed, Kate and Jack are unexpectedly pulled into a new adventure with Santa Claus.


Pixels
2015 · 1h 46m
country: China
Video game experts are recruited by the military to fight 1980s-era video game characters who've attacked New York.


Applebaum
2012
country: United States
Based on Ayelet Waldman’s Mommy Track Mysteries series of books, Applebaum centers on Juliet Applebaum (Rachelle Lefevre), a former public defender who becomes a private investigator to keep from being bored to death as a stay-at-home mom. Began as a pilot episode to a series, however released as TV movie.


Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
2010 · 1h 58m
country: United States
Accident prone teenager, Percy discovers he's actually a demi-God, the son of Poseidon, and he is needed when Zeus' lightning is stolen. Percy must master his new found skills in order to prevent a war between the Gods that could devastate the entire world.


I Love You, Beth Cooper
2009 · 1h 42m
country: Canada
A valedictorian's declaration of love for a high-school cheerleader launches a night of revelry, reflection and romance for a group of graduating seniors.


Rent
2005 · 2h 15m
country: United States
In New York City's gritty East Village, a group of bohemians strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic.


Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2002 · 2h 41m
country: United Kingdom
Cars fly, trees fight back, and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Adventure and danger await when bloody writing on a wall announces: The Chamber Of Secrets Has Been Opened. To save Hogwarts will require all of Harry, Ron and Hermione's magical abilities and courage.


Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Extended Version)
2001
country: Unknown


Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2001 · 2h 32m
country: United Kingdom
Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame.


Bicentennial Man
1999 · 2h 11m
country: Germany
Richard Martin buys a gift, a new NDR-114 robot. The product is named Andrew by the youngest of the family's children. "Bicentennial Man" follows the life and times of Andrew, a robot purchased as a household appliance programmed to perform menial tasks. As Andrew begins to experience emotions and creative thought, the Martin family soon discovers they don't have an ordinary robot.


Stepmom
1998 · 2h 5m
country: United States
Jackie is a divorced mother of two. Isabel is the career minded girlfriend of Jackie’s ex-husband Luke, forced into the role of unwelcome stepmother to their children. But when Jackie discovers she is ill, both women realise they must put aside their differences to find a common ground and celebrate life to the fullest, while they have the chance.


Nine Months
1995 · 1h 43m
country: United States
When he finds out his longtime girlfriend is pregnant, a commitment-phobe realizes he might have to change his lifestyle for better or much, much worse.


Mrs. Doubtfire
1993 · 2h 5m
country: United States
Loving but irresponsible dad Daniel Hillard, estranged from his exasperated spouse, is crushed by a court order allowing only weekly visits with his kids. When Daniel learns his ex needs a housekeeper, he gets the job -- disguised as a British nanny. Soon he becomes not only his children's best pal but the kind of parent he should have been from the start.


Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
1992 · 2h
country: United States
Instead of flying to Florida with his folks, Kevin ends up alone in New York, where he gets a hotel room with his dad's credit card—despite problems from a clerk and meddling bellboy. But when Kevin runs into his old nemeses, the Wet Bandits, he's determined to foil their plans to rob a toy store on Christmas Eve.


Only the Lonely
1991 · 1h 44m
country: United States
Danny Muldoon, a Chicago policeman, still lives with his overbearing mother Rose. He meets and falls in love with Theresa Luna, whose father owns the local funeral parlour. Naturally, his mother objects to the relationship, and Danny and Theresa must either overcome her objections or give up the romance.


Home Alone
1990 · 1h 43m
country: United States
Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister makes the most of the situation after his family unwittingly leaves him behind when they go on Christmas vacation. When thieves try to break into his home, he puts up a fight like no other.


Heartbreak Hotel
1988 · 1h 37m
country: United States
When a teen tries to set up a band at his school, his mother - who was a big fan of Elvis Presley - gets in a wreck. He and his band members then decide to kidnap Elvis and hook him up with his mother.


Adventures in Babysitting
1987 · 1h 42m
country: United States
When plans with her boyfriend fall through, high school senior Chris Parker ends up babysitting the Anderson kids, Brad and Sara. What should be a quiet night in, however, turns into a series of ridiculous exploits, starting when they leave the house to pick up Chris' friend Brenda. Soon, Brad's buddy Daryl is involved, and the group must contend with car thieves, blues musicians and much more.


I Think I'm Going to Like it Here
1980 · 4m
country: Unknown
Chris Columbus's NYU student film follows a naïve freshman from the Midwest as he becomes acclimated to his first year at NYU. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2014.