Casting for Meet the Mother and father 4 is effectively underway, with Owen Wilson the newest star to rejoin the franchise with Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Teri Polo within the upcoming movie that additionally has Ariana Grande on board.
However why was this the correct time to revisit Meet the Mother and father? Stiller defined after a current twenty fifth anniversary screening of the unique movie on the 2025 Tribeca Competition.
“I believe what spurred the thought was that at this time limit, I’m the age that Bob [De Niro] was once we did the primary film,” he mentioned. “And there was this form of mirror to the primary movie when it comes to the truth that my youngsters are grown. And, yeah, that my child, one among my youngsters, is considering introducing his individual to the household.”
Stiller, De Niro and Polo, who reunited with authentic director Jay Roach, who’s set to supply the fourth movie, for a Q&A after the Meet the Mother and father screening at Tribeca, remained tightlipped about what else to count on, regardless of Stiller joking that he may inform the viewers “the entire plot.”
However, The Hollywood Reporter has discovered that one a part of the upcoming movie revolves across the son of Stiller and Polo’s characters getting engaged to a ball-busting girl (Grande) who appears all incorrect for him.
As as to if Grande will get Stiller, De Niro and Co. singing and dancing, Stiller joked that the film could be titled Depraved 3, however De Niro indicated that it was unlikely he’d be singing, given what occurred on a earlier movie within the sequence.
In both the second or third movie, De Niro recalled, “We tried to do a track or one thing that I used to be singing and [producing partner and Tribeca co-founder] Jane [Rosenthal] wasn’t proud of it.” They ended up slicing the scene.
Nonetheless, De Niro teased that the script for Meet the Mother and father 4 is “actually good.”
“It’s thrilling that we’re going to do it once more and be collectively,” Stiller mentioned of Meet the Mother and father 4. “And I believe life informs every little thing that’s occurred within the final 25 years, and it’s been some time since we did the final one. … So, it’s type of nice to have a look at it as a form of a brand new factor. However after all, there’s all these nice recollections, and I really feel like our connections are nonetheless there once we get again collectively. It’s simply all baked in there.”
De Niro even mentioned he tried to get the ball rolling on a fourth movie after they have been engaged on the third film, Little Fockers, which got here out in 2010.
“Once we filmed the final one, I used to be with Ben and John [Hamburg, who co-wrote all three prior films in the franchise and is set to direct the upcoming movie] in my camper,” he mentioned, “And I mentioned, ‘Let’s begin writing one now, to be prepared for an additional one.’ They usually mentioned, ‘Yeah, yeah, positive, positive, positive.’ They have been humoring me.”
Roach was inspired by how the upcoming movie, simply primarily based on Hamburg’s strategy, appeared paying homage to the primary film.
“It’s all the time concerning the predicament,” he mentioned. “I fell in love with that script, the primary movie script … as a result of imagining what it’s like whenever you care a lot about profitable the approval of somebody, and also you’re instantly going to start out screwing it up, and the more durable you attempt the more serious you’re going to make it. And I believe that’s what John has provide you with once more, and that’s what all the time you want. That predicament is every little thing in a narrative. And I believe on this one, John discovered a very nice new predicament. I believe all people’s going to like squirming by way of it.
Stiller added, “The viewers has this historical past with the characters they usually’re going to deliver that to the movie too. So, there’s one thing that’s type of emotional about it, I believe, for me, for the actors, to the connection that folks have with the film.”
Throughout the panel, Stiller was additionally reminded that his half within the first movie initially was meant for another person: Jim Carrey.
The comedy icon, who Stiller directed within the 1996 black comedy The Cable Man, was initially set to star within the movie with Steven Spielberg planning to direct. Carrey even got here up with the Focker final identify. However after Spielberg and Carrey left the mission, Roach and Stiller took on the director and lead actor roles, respectively.
Remembering that flip of occasions, Stiller confirmed, “Jim Carrey was going to be me? Shit … I completely forgot that half.”
For his half, Carrey praised Stiller’s efficiency in a 2008 interview with Larry King.
“It was excellent that Ben Stiller did it,” Carrey mentioned. “After I noticed it, I went, ‘That’s the way in which it’s speculated to be accomplished.’”
Stiller did keep in mind getting the decision providing him the half, indicating that De Niro’s involvement was a part of what made him say sure.
“I used to be on just like the 5 freeway or one thing in L.A.” he recalled. “I believe you [to Roach] referred to as me up and mentioned, like, ‘Robert De Niro desires to do the film,’ and I used to be like, ‘He desires to do the film with me? … Nicely, yeah.’”
Roach tried to reassure Stiller that he was the primary selection.
“I believe you turned it down earlier than,” Roach informed Stiller. “After which I went again to you.”
And Stiller ended up being well-suited for the function, as he defined that the movie unintentionally mirrored his life across the similar time, as he was relationship his now-wife Christine Taylor and located himself able to suggest and ask for her father’s permission.
“It was whereas we have been in rehearsals for the film. And her dad and mom lived in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and her dad owned a safety firm,” Stiller recalled. “We had to return for her grandfather’s funeral, and I believe I discovered myself within the basement of her home together with her father after the funeral telling him that I liked his daughter. It was good analysis for the film.”
Polo was forged comparatively late, just a few days earlier than filming started, Roach revealed, with the actress sharing extra about her whirlwind expertise of becoming a member of the movie after getting the decision whereas she was in an elaborate Halloween costume and shortly discovering herself in rehearsal.
“If I keep in mind accurately, I believe it was Halloween. It was a Sunday, and I used to be in full Halloween get-up. I used to be a vampire laying in a coffin, and I received a cellphone name … from my agent about 5 o’clock saying they needed me to be on a crimson eye tonight for a display screen check tomorrow with Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. There’s going to be a forged read-through first, however then you definately’re going to do the display screen check, and it’s the primary time in my life I used to be speechless,” Polo recalled. “I had about three hours sleep … I keep in mind saying to myself, ‘If I don’t give every little thing, if I mess this up, I’ll by no means forgive myself. I’ll by no means have this opportunity once more.’”
After two extra days of rehearsal, Polo was lastly informed she received the half earlier than having to shortly go dwelling on a Saturday night time to come back again on Sunday and begin making the film on Monday.
Along with holding onto recollections and forming an in depth bond with the forged, Polo additionally had a lingering connection to one of many cats who performed the memorable Jinx household pet. The educated animal was on the verge of retirement, and Polo’s mom ended up adopting it.
The forged and Roach have been requested about their favourite traces, with the early dinner, by which Stiller’s character describes milking a cat, getting a few shout-outs. However although followers could love De Niro’s “I’ve nipples, Greg, may you milk me,” De Niro himself has a unique favourite line.
That quote comes from when his overprotective father character thinks that Stiller’s character has been smoking pot and threatens him by saying, amongst different issues, “I’ll deliver you all the way down to Chinatown.”
De Niro couldn’t keep in mind if the road was scripted or ad-libbed, however Stiller knew what occurred and reminded his co-star that Hamburg rewrote the scene and when De Niro received the revised script, he learn it and nodded approvingly.
Meet the Mother and father 4 is ready to be launched on Nov. 25, 2026.