Chris Columbus

Chris Joseph Columbus (born September 10, 1958) is an American film director, producer, and writer, best known for his family and sentimental films. Born in Spangler, Pennsylvania, Columbus studied film at Tisch School of the Arts. After writing screenplays for Gremlins (1984) and The Goonies (1985), he made his directorial debut with a teen comedy, Adventures in Babysitting (1987). Columbus gained recognition soon after with the highly successful Christmas comedy-dramas, 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 Nine Months (1995), Stepmom (1998) and Bicentennial Man (1999), which were met with lukewarm reception. His greatest commercial successes have been Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and its sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). He also directed Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), another critical financial success. Columbus has produced a number of films, including Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Night at the Museum (2006) and The Help (2011), all of which were well received. In 2015, he directed a 3D film, Pixels which was not as well received.

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