We first heard whispers back in December 2024 that the “Meet the Parents” franchise was coming back for a fourth installment after a break of more than 15 years. Universal Pictures announced Monday the film now has a title and will be released in theaters on November 25, 2026. The title of the upcoming film will be “Focker-in-Law”. A surprising turn of events was that a highly unlikely rumor has been confirmed, that Ariana Grande will star in the film alongside the original cast members Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro.
Owen Wilson will also be reprising his role alongside Teri Polo and Blythe Danner. New additions were also reported along with Grande; Skyler Gisondo from “The Righteous Gemstones” and “Superman”, as well as Beanie Feldstein from “American Crime Story”. The video didn’t feature any actors but rather scrolled through a list of the confirmed cast that we have already broken down in the article here. A Thanksgiving release will likely be a strong showing for the film, which has the ability to pull in audiences from all ages as the comedy is generally not too raunchy enough to score away parents trying to shield their children from adult humor.
A surprising turn of events was that a highly unlikely rumor has been confirmed, that Ariana Grande will star in the film alongside the original cast members Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro.”
Plot details are being kept under wraps for now but the video released seems to confirm that Ariana Grande ends up being the “Focker-in-law” in question as she joins the cast as the fianceé of Greg and Pam Focker’s son. Although “Meet the Parents” and it’s sequel “Meet the Fockers” are remembered fondly by many. 2010’s “Little Fockers” is viewed by most as a stain on the legacy of the franchise and holds a sickly 9% RT score and ended up being considered the worst film in the franchise by a mile. The film impressively did well in the box office, but the critics on almsot every sight have universally panned the third effort. 2026’s entry intro the series a chance to bring the IP into the modern era and unite multiple generations in their ability to find common ground with in-laws amongst gaps in birth eras.
Jane Rosenthal and De Niro will produce “Focker-in-Law” through their company Tribeca Productions, along with Jay Roach through Delirious Media and Stiller through Red Hour Films amongst others. Universal EVP of Production Development Matt Reilly and their Director of Production Development Jacqueline Garell will be overseeing the studio’s interests in the project. Paramount Pictures is Co-Producing and will be taking care of international distribution.
The promo video did not include nay other information aide form a caption that said “The Focker family is expanding. See #FockerInLaw only in theaters Thanksgiving 2026.” We still have about 16 months before the movie will come out but admittedly seeing De Niro’s Jack Byrnes second guess every parenting decision Focker (Stiller) makes as an adult, while his son tries to keep Ariana Grande’s character happy will be a sight to behold. John Hamburg, who write the first three films will write and direct the fourth. Hamburg has collaborated with Stiller often as well as Owen Wilson in Apple TV+’s recent golf-hit, “Stick”. The. Writer/Director has three decades of experience and is surely highly invested in making the film a commercial success.
Ben Stiller has given the fourth entry into the franchise has stamp of approval during a 25th anniversary screening of “Meet the Parents”. The Actor/Producer stated that the team only returned because they found an “organic reason” to revisit the characters. Stiller also said: “What spurred the idea is that I’m the age Bob was when we di the first movie…It felts like a mirror to the first film, where one of my kids is thinking about introducing his person to the family.”
What will the Focker circle of trust look like? De Niro also approved but was tight lipped about any details. The legendary actor only said: “The script is really fun… I’m looking forward to it.” Both of the major stars are also Producing, but it’s unclear how hands-on they will be during the process. Although Hamburg should have the trust of everyone involved, it’s possible that the actors will not want another forgettable sequel like “Little Fockers” and try to impose their star power over the Director. Hopefully we get another lie detector scene and possibly even a two-way situation between De Niro, Stiller and Grande. Sadly none of the other stars have yet to comment on the film, so any other details beyond what we currently know would be pure speculation.
What do you think? What type of personality will Ariana Grande play? Will she be the opposite of Stiller’s Focker? Will De Niro be more trusting in his riper age or more suspicious? How will Pam Focker deal with her son being married? Is Owen Wilson still holding a secret candle for Pam? How much Focker action will we get from the In-Laws? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
