The revelation that Macaulay Culkin hasn’t earned any royalties from the “Home Alone” movies since their release over three decades ago has left fans astonished. As the festive season approaches, many are revisiting their favorite Christmas movies, with “Home Alone” often topping the list.

Macaulay Culkin, who became an iconic Christmas figure through his role as Kevin in “Home Alone,” hasn’t profited from the film’s enduring success. Directed by Chris Columbus, “Home Alone” was a massive hit upon its release in the 90s, leading to five subsequent films in the series. Despite the character of Kevin being synonymous with Christmas for many years, Culkin doesn’t earn royalties from these beloved films.

The reason behind this is that actors typically do not receive royalties from movies. Royalties are generally paid to the owners of the film property, and actors only receive them if such terms are included in their contracts. Considering Culkin was only ten years old when he starred in “Home Alone,” and the unexpected success of the film, it’s likely that his contract did not include royalty payments.

For his role in the original “Home Alone,” Culkin was paid $100,000 – a significant sum for a child actor at the time. The film went on to become a massive success, holding the record for the highest-grossing live-action comedy until 2011, with a worldwide box office total of $476.7 million. This success undoubtedly influenced Culkin’s salary for the sequel, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” where he reportedly earned around $4.5 million.

As of 2023, Culkin’s net worth is estimated to be around $18 million, following a successful acting career that took off after his portrayal of the ‘Christmas kid’. Despite this, fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, expressed their surprise and disappointment upon learning that Culkin doesn’t receive ongoing earnings from the “Home Alone” series.

One fan commented, “Finding out Macaulay Culkin doesn’t collect any royalties for Home Alone feels like the saddest thing I’ve read in a while.” Another shared their surprise, saying, “Dayum, I really thought Macaulay Culkin was getting royalties from Home Alone/Home Alone 2. But nope, it wasn’t in his contract.”

This revelation about Culkin’s earnings from the “Home Alone” films highlights the complexities of film contracts and the entertainment industry, particularly for child actors. While Culkin’s initial compensation for the films was substantial, the lack of royalties from such a successful franchise is a surprising aspect of his career that many fans were unaware of until now.