The Wet Bandits are back in the spotlight.
Daniel Stern, known for his role in “Home Alone,” has been hired to create a statue honoring one of his most memorable scenes for the new owner of the iconic house from the movie.
“I received a call from the homeowner,” said Stern, at 68 years old. “They asked me to make a sculpture for their house. So, I’m working on a piece featuring me and a spider.”
“It’s going to be a bit wild,” he continued. “This will take place in the ‘Home Alone’ house, and whatever that spider’s name is, Charlie will be immortalized in bronze.”
Stern, who had a health scare and was hospitalized last October, originally played Marv alongside Joe Pesci’s Harry in “Home Alone” and its sequel.
The duo, dubbed the “Wet Bandits,” attempted to rob Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin) after his family unintentionally left him behind during a Christmas trip to Paris.
However, Kevin sets up a series of clever traps to foil their plans. One of the film’s most famous moments occurs when a tarantula falls onto Marv’s face.
Stern, who has since moved to a ranch in Ventura, California to focus on his art, shared that this sculpture will be his first self-portrait.
“I’ve been looking at myself while sculpting, and I seem much more handsome than in reality,” he joked. “Why not?”
“But honestly, it’s been a blast,” he added. “I think it’s really exciting to envision it. I’m aiming to finish it in a few months, but just thinking about it in that house is a lot of fun.”
While Stern plans to complete the sculpture by early next year, he doesn’t intend to be the one to install it. “I’ll ship it, but there might be an unveiling or something. It would be wild to join,” he said, referring to the house, which resembles a tourist hotspot.
The famous home in Winnetka, Illinois served as the exterior for Chris Columbus’ 1990 holiday classic.
A man named John Abendschen lived in the house for over two decades before selling it for $1.6 million in 2012.
After extensive renovations in 2018, the property was again listed in May 2024 for $5.25 million. It sold for $5.5 million within a week, and project manager Scott Price revealed that the new owners plan to restore it to its original “Home Alone” look.
“We want to bring back the warmth and love from the movies,” Price said earlier this month. “There were so many vibrant colors that made it feel like home, and we want to recapture that magic.”
Regarding the memorable scene with Charlie the tarantula, Stern explained that his hilarious reaction while in the shower was inspired by the famous “Psycho” scene.
He noted that a “tarantula trainer” was on set during filming, although the trainer’s success with the spider was questionable.
“I asked, ‘How do you train him?'” Stern recounted. “He replied, ‘I can’t really train him.’ I was like, ‘Okay then, would he care if I scream at him?’ and he said, ‘He’s deaf.’”
Continuing, he said, “‘Should I take the needle out?’ and he told me, ‘If I pull it out, he will die.’ I responded, ‘But if I don’t, I might die.’”
