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The shooting for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York kicked off with the outdoor scenes. Filming in the dead of winter in New York City was no joke. Temperatures hovered around freezing, and the wind would whip through the narrow streets and between the towering buildings, making it feel even colder. For the cast and crew, staying warm wasn't just a matter of comfort—it was a battle.
Right from the start, the production team had to deal with the difficulties that come with shooting in cold weather. The cameras froze multiple times. The lenses would fog up, and sometimes the mechanical parts of the cameras would lock up because of how cold it was. There were delays between takes as the crew had to wait for the cameras to thaw out and function again. It wasn't uncommon to see technicians rushing back and forth, trying to get everything working before the light faded. Filming during winter also meant fewer daylight hours, so every delay felt even more critical.
Despite the cold, we pushed on. I remember being so bundled up that I could barely move. My arms were stiff, and I walked like a mummy in the thick layers of winter clothes. We shot several scenes in Central Park, where the snow was thick on the ground, and my feet would sink into it with every step. Sometimes the cold was so biting that my face would go numb, but we powered through because everyone knew that this was going to be a special film. The snow and winter chill added the perfect touch of Christmas magic to the movie, and we all knew it would look fantastic on screen.
One of the biggest challenges was maintaining that wintery feel for the entire shoot. Even though New York was cold, it didn't always have the snow that we needed. On some days, the weather was clear, and the streets were completely dry. The crew had to use fake snow, laying down huge piles of it to make the city look like a winter wonderland. I remember one day in particular when they spent hours carefully placing the fake snow on the streets, sidewalks, and even some trees to make sure the set looked just right.
The scene was ready to go, but just as we were about to start filming, the sky darkened, and out of nowhere, it started to snow for real. At first, everyone was excited—it looked beautiful and added an even more authentic touch to the scene. But within minutes, the gentle snow turned into a full-on snowstorm. The wind picked up, and the snow came down so fast and thick that it covered the fake snow in no time. The crew had to stop filming because the storm was making it impossible to see anything. Cameras were getting covered in snow, and the visibility was so low that we couldn't continue.
Everyone rushed to cover the equipment and take shelter. The storm passed after about an hour, but by then, the set looked completely different from how it had been set up with the fake snow. We had to start all over again, rearranging the snow and clearing paths so that the scene could look consistent when the cameras started rolling again. It was a frustrating delay, but the snowstorm ended up giving the city a real holiday feel, which made it all worth it when we got back to shooting.
One of the most challenging parts of the shoot was ensuring the city still looked like Christmas, even though we were filming after the holiday season had passed. Many of the outdoor locations had been decked out with Christmas lights and decorations, but as time went on, the city workers began removing them. The production crew scrambled to keep everything in place. They negotiated with building owners and city officials, asking them not to take down their holiday decorations just yet. In some cases, the film crew even paid for the lights and decorations to stay up a bit longer so we could maintain the festive atmosphere. Every detail mattered, and the crew worked tirelessly to keep that magical Christmas feel alive for the duration of the shoot.
One of the most memorable scenes was with Marv, one of the burglars played by Daniel Stern. For one particular moment, Marv is supposed to be swarmed by pigeons after getting covered in birdseed. The scene required about 300 pigeons, and Chris Columbus, our director, wanted it to be as real as possible. The bird handlers prepared the pigeons off-screen, and just before the cameras rolled, they doused Marv in real birdseed.
As soon as Chris yelled, "Action!" the pigeons swarmed in. The sight was incredible—hundreds of birds flapping their wings and flying straight toward Daniel Stern. He started screaming in character, flailing his arms as the birds landed on his shoulders, arms, and head. But then, one of the pigeons flew straight into his mouth, hitting him right in the mouth!
Daniel gagged, and it was obvious he was caught off guard. The crew erupted into laughter. The scene was absolute chaos, but everyone was laughing so hard that Chris had to call "Cut!" just to get everyone to settle down. Daniel, though trying to stay professional, couldn't help but crack up too. Despite the humor of it all, Daniel did get a bit hurt—those pigeons were heavy, and one of them scratched his face with its claws while trying to land. But being the pro that he is, Daniel shook it off and was ready to go again after a quick break.
That whole bird scene was so funny that I pulled out my Sony camera and recorded it. I had been carrying the camera around for much of the shoot. Sony had given me the camera as part of a product deal. They wanted me to film advertisements for their new camera line while I was in New York, so anytime I wasn't in front of the camera for the movie, I was shooting ads for Sony.
The product placement was a big deal for the production, too. In the original script, the writers had planned for Kevin to use a voice recorder in several scenes. But once they saw me filming with the Sony camera, they thought it would be a great idea to incorporate that into the movie instead. Hughes and the other writers quickly revised the script, swapping out the voice recorder for a video camera. It made the scenes feel more modern and tied in perfectly with my deal with Sony.
John Hughes saw the potential for even more cross-promotion and contacted 20th Century Fox to discuss advertising opportunities. Fox agreed, and soon the Sony camera became not just part of the movie, but also a key piece of the film's marketing. It was a win-win situation for everyone.
Despite the fun moments on set, the public attention in New York was growing every day. With filming happening in such iconic locations, it was impossible to keep the production under wraps. Word spread fast, and soon, large crowds gathered wherever we were shooting. I remember walking with Scooter and my mom after a day of filming, trying to blend into the crowd, but it didn't work. Reporters spotted us almost immediately, and before we knew it, we were surrounded by photographers snapping pictures and people asking for autographs.
The next morning, I woke up to find my face plastered on the front page of nearly every local newspaper. The headline read: "Home Alone Star Returns to New York!" There was a full photo of me in Central Park, bundled up in my winter gear, and people were buzzing about it all over the city.
At one point, I saw a kid sitting on the steps of a building, his nose buried in a newspaper with my picture on it. He was pointing it out excitedly to his friends, and I could hear them talking about Home Alone 2. It was surreal to see myself on the front page like that, but it also brought more attention than I was ready for.
Reporters started following me everywhere. The newspapers sold out quickly, and the buzz only grew. News channels picked up the story, too, and soon, it seemed like the whole city was excited about the movie. Everywhere I went, there were reporters or photographers trying to catch a glimpse of me or sneak in a photo.
For that entire week, it felt like I couldn't go anywhere without being followed. It was a strange feeling to be in the middle of all that attention, but at the same time, it made me realize just how much people loved the character of Kevin and how excited they were to see what we would do with the sequel.
Even with all the craziness, the atmosphere on set stayed lighthearted. Everyone was working hard, but we were all having fun. Despite the cold, the frozen cameras, the real snowstorms, and the constant attention from the public, we knew we were creating something special. And those funny moments—like Marv getting attacked by pigeons—are what made it all worth it.
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