When it comes to the Meet The Parents franchise, it turns out you only need Ben Stiller as Gaylord Focker and Robert De Niro as his ever-watchful ex-CIA father-in-law, Jack Byrnes. After already delivering a trilogy with Meet The Parents, Meet The Fockers, and Meet The Parents: Little Fockers, it seems we're on the brink of re-entering the Focker-Byrnes' circle of trust. According to Deadline, a fourth film is in development at Universal Pictures, with Stiller and De Niro in early discussions to reprise their roles for more outrageous family antics.
Details about the plot for the sequel are currently under wraps, but we know that longtime franchise co-writer John Hamburg is handling the script. Additionally, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner, who portray Greg (Gaylord's real name) and Jack's respective wives Pam and Dina, are also expected to return. Beyond that, information about the project is scarce. Given that the ending of Little Fockers had Jack giving his approval for Greg to be the family's "Gregfocker," and then watching him humorously on YouTube, there’s plenty of room for more comedic family dynamics in this new installment. It remains unclear if Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, or Laura Dern will join the Fockers this time around, serving as a reminder of just how stacked the casts of these films have been.
For Stiller and De Niro, returning to the Focker universe will be a notable shift from their recent projects. While Stiller has dipped into family comedy with the festive offering Nutcracker on Disney+, he has primarily been behind the camera directing the sci-fi workplace thriller Severance (which just released its Season 2 trailer). Meanwhile, De Niro, the octogenarian Oscar winner, has recently starred in Martin Scorsese's historical drama Killers Of The Flower Moon and is set to make his television debut as a former US president in Netflix's Zero Day—neither of which are particularly lighthearted. Nevertheless, at Empire HQ, we remain hopeful that Meet The Parents 4 will take its place among the great comedy quadrilogies, alongside titles like American Pie, Madagascar, and Spy Kids.
