Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro Reunite for a New Meet the Parents Sequel
Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro are reportedly teaming up once again for a fourth installment of the Meet the Parents series. This marks their first collaboration since Little Fockers in 2010, the third film in the franchise that followed 2004’s Meet the Fockers.
Blythe Danner and Teri Polo are also set to reprise their roles, while John Hamburg, who penned the previous three movies, is returning as the screenwriter. Hamburg is known for his work on Zoolander and Along Came Polly. At this stage, no director has been officially announced.
According to Deadline, Stiller and De Niro will take on producing roles alongside Jane Rosenthal, Matt Reilly, Jacqueline Garell, and Jay Roach, who directed the first two films in the series.
The original Meet the Parents (2000) was a massive hit, grossing over $330 million (£235 million) worldwide. Its sequel, Meet the Fockers (2004), which featured Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand as Stiller’s quirky parents, surpassed that success, raking in $522 million (£409 million).
The films revolve around the comically tense relationship between Greg Focker (Stiller) and his no-nonsense father-in-law, Jack Byrnes (De Niro), a retired CIA operative and Vietnam War vet. Owen Wilson also appeared in the series as Greg’s wife’s former boyfriend. It’s still unclear if Hoffman, Streisand, or Wilson will return for the upcoming film.
Now 58, Stiller has focused more on directing and producing in recent years. Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival, Stiller revealed his selective approach to acting roles: “I’ve been directing and producing for a while, and I want to act, but I decided I’d only take roles that really resonated with me.”
His last leading roles were in 2017’s Brad’s Status and The Meyerowitz Stories. During his acting hiatus, Stiller has made his mark behind the scenes, particularly with Severance, the Apple TV+ sci-fi thriller series, which is set to return for its second season on January 17, 2025.