Film director Chris Columbus is said to have quit one of the biggest Christmas movies of all time because of Chevy Chase.
Columbus, who directed 1990's Home Alone, revealed that Chase's actions before filming began led to him abandoning the 1989 holiday classic National Lampoon's Vacation.
“I signed a contract…and then I met Chevy Chase, and I realized that I couldn't work with this guy, given my situation at the time, when I really needed to make a movie,” the director said. vanity fair.
Christie Brinkley recreates 'Girl in the Red Ferrari' moment from 'National Lampoon's Vacation'
Chevy Chase starred as Clark Griswold in “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.'' (Warner Brothers)
Columbus recalled his first meeting with Chase and the “weird” things Chase said to him.
“It was just the two of us,” Columbus explained. “He should have known that I was directing this movie. I talked about how I saw the movie and how I wanted this movie to be made. He didn't say anything. I talked for about 30 minutes and he didn't say anything.'' Then he stopped and said, “This makes no sense to anyone on the planet, but I've probably never said this before.'' Probably not.
“Forty minutes into the meeting, he said, 'Wait a minute. Are you the director?' And I said, 'Yeah…I'm directing the movie.' . And he said the most surreal and weird thing to me, I still can't understand it, “Oh, I thought you were a drummer.” I said, “Oh, about the movie again. Let's talk.'' After about 30 seconds he said, “I have to go.'' ”
Chevy Chase, Christie Brinkley and Beverly D'Angelo enjoy 'National Lampoon's Vacation' reunion
Director Chris Columbus (left) and director John Hughes co-starred in 1990's “Home Alone.'' (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
According to Columbus, Chase later visited “Christmas Vacation” screenwriter John Hughes and requested a meeting with the trio.
“Then we had a dinner where John Hughes was also present, and I was basically non-existent,” Columbus admitted. “It was Chevrolet and Hughes, and we talked about everything except 'Christmas Vacation.' We spent two hours together, and when we finished dinner, I said, 'There's no way I'm going to make a movie with this guy. First of all, he's… You're treating me like I don't need you.'' I don't want to work anymore. ”
In a scene from the 1989 film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Chevy Chase stands at the head of a table. (Warner Bros./Getty Images)
Columbus said he doesn't know why Chase acted the way he did.
“I guess that sense of humor was funny in the early '70s,” he told the magazine. “It's so unreal… Who would say something like that to someone? It makes no sense. So there's almost no point in telling that story, but it actually happened. This is why we worked together. Did you think that's the way to do it? I'm going to go to the set, but he's not listening. ”
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Columbus had finished its “Christmas break,” but a new opportunity with Hughes was just around the corner.
Home Alone 2 stars Macaulay Culkin as 10-year-old Kevin McCallister and Donald Trump as the owner of the Plaza Hotel. (Getty Images)
“I quit 'Christmas Vacation.'” The next weekend, I received another script from John, and it was for 'Home Alone,'” he recalled. “For me, 'Home Alone' was more personal, it was a better script, and I thought I could really do something with it. I didn't have to involve Chevy Chase. That was it. . John and I wanted to work together and we had the same sensibilities.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to a representative for Chase.
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“National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” is directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. (Warner Bros./Getty Images)
Starring Chase and Beverly D'Angelo as Clark and Ellen Griswold, this classic family movie series began with an innocent cross-country drive to Wally's World theme park in National Lampoon's Vacation .
The 1983 film was directed by Harold Ramis and written by John Hughes, in which he also starred. anthony michael hallDana Barron, Randy Quaid, John Candy. Christie Brinkley played the role of “Ferrari Girl”.
The Griswolds headed overseas for their second film, 1985's National Lampoon's European Vacation, and returned to Chicago for the ultimate holiday tradition. “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation”
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Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
