Ben Stiller Explains Why This Was the Right Time to Revisit ‘Meet the Parents’: “Life Informs Everything”

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The casting process for “Meet the Parents 4″ is progressing smoothly, with Owen Wilson being the most recent celebrity to join the series again alongside Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, and Teri Polo. Furthermore, the movie will also feature Ariana Grande.

What made it appropriate to rewatch “Meet the Parents” again was discussed by Stiller, following a recent screening of the initial movie celebrating its 25th anniversary at the 2025 Tribeca Festival.

It seems that what inspired me was realizing I’m now the same age as Robert De Niro was during our initial film. Plus, there was a reflection of the first movie in the sense that my children have grown up. Furthermore, one of my children is considering bringing their partner into our family.”

Or more concisely:

“The similarity between my current age and Robert De Niro’s during our first movie, along with my kids being grown and one potentially introducing a partner to the family, sparked the idea.

Stiller, De Niro, and Polo, along with original director Jay Roach, shared a Q&A session following the Meet the Parents screening at Tribeca. Despite Stiller’s jest about revealing “the entire plot,” they remained tight-lipped about any additional details concerning the upcoming fourth film, despite their reunion for production.

However, it appears that The Hollywood Reporter has uncovered a plot point in the upcoming movie, where the offspring of Stiller and Polo’s characters becomes involved with a strong-willed woman (Grande) who seems to be an ill-fitting match for him.

Regarding if Grande will persuade Stiller, De Niro, and others to perform music and dance in the movie, Stiller playfully suggested the title could be “Wicked 3“, but De Niro hinted that it’s unlikely he would sing, considering his past experience with the series.

In one of the second or third movies, De Niro mentioned, “We attempted to incorporate a song or something where I was singing, but Jane, my producing partner and co-founder of Tribeca, wasn’t satisfied with it.” Ultimately, they decided to remove that particular scene.

Still, De Niro teased that the script for Meet the Parents 4 is “really good.”

Stiller expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming “Meet the Parents 4,” stating, “It’s thrilling that we’ll reunite once more.” He added, “Time has a way of shaping everything that’s transpired in the past 25 years, and it’s been some time since we last worked together on this series. So, it feels fresh and exciting to approach it as something new. Yet, the fond memories and our enduring connection remain intact whenever we reunite; they’re like a built-in part of the experience.

In the process of making “Little Fockers,” which was released in 2010, De Niro himself attempted to initiate work on a fourth film within that production period.

During our last shoot, I was with Ben and John, who will be directing the next film. I suggested we should begin writing another installment right away to be prepared for another. They responded casually, seeming to humor my idea.

As a diehard fan, I’m thrilled by the vibe the forthcoming film seems to share with the original, purely from Hamburg’s unique approach.

He mentioned that the essence lies in the dilemma. He was captivated by the script, the initial film script, because it portrayed the struggle of caring deeply about gaining someone’s approval and immediately messing things up, no matter how hard you try to do well. He believes that John has once again masterfully captured this theme, which is crucial in a story. In this case, he thinks John has discovered a fresh and intriguing dilemma. He predicts that everyone will find themselves squirming as they navigate through it.

Stiller remarked, “The viewers carry a past relationship with these characters, and they’ll undoubtedly contribute this sentiment to the film. This aspect seems deeply moving to me, and likely for the actors as well, due to the bond audiences share with the movie.

At the discussion, it was brought up to Stiller that the role he played in the initial movie was initially intended for another actor: Jim Carrey.

Initially, the famous comedian who worked under Stiller’s direction in the 1996 dark comedy “The Cable Guy,” had been planned to star alongside Steven Spielberg as the director. Interestingly, Carrey himself suggested the Focker surname for his character. However, following their departure from the project, both Roach and Stiller assumed the roles of director and lead actor respectively.

Recalling the twist of fate, Stiller admitted, “I had forgotten that Jim Carrey was supposed to play my role? Wow, I really let that slip from my mind.

For his part, Carrey praised Stiller’s performance in a 2008 interview with Larry King.

Ben Stiller nailed it,” Carrey remarked. “When I watched it, I thought, ‘That’s exactly how it should have been done.’

Stiller recalled receiving the phone call about the role offer, suggesting that De Niro’s participation played a significant role in his decision to accept it.

He reminisced, “I was on a freeway in L.A., I believe it was the 5, when you called, Roach. You said something about Robert De Niro wanting to star in the film, and my response was, ‘He wants to work with me? Absolutely!’

Roach tried to reassure Stiller that he was the first choice.

“I think you turned it down before,” Roach told Stiller. “And then I went back to you.”

In the end, Stiller proved a perfect fit for the part because he shared that the movie unexpectedly reflected his life at the time, as he was courting his future wife, Christine Taylor, and felt ready to pop the question and seek her father’s blessing.

During the film rehearsals, it’s noted that she lived in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where her parents resided, and her dad ran a security firm,” Stiller reminisced. “After attending her grandfather’s funeral, I found myself in her family home basement with her father post-funeral, expressing my affection for his daughter. This experience proved valuable for the movie.

Polo joined the movie quite late, just a few days before shooting started, as director Roach disclosed. The actress shared details about her fast-paced entry into the film, which occurred when she received a phone call while dressed up for an elaborate Halloween party, and then swiftly moved on to rehearsals.

As I recall, it seems like Halloween was the occasion. It fell on a Sunday, and I was all dressed up for the festivities, impersonating a vampire in a coffin. Around five in the evening, my phone rang – it was my agent with some exciting news. They wanted me to catch a late-night flight that very same night for a screen test the following day, alongside Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller! There was going to be a rehearsal first, followed by the screen test itself. This was the first time in my life when I found myself speechless. I hadn’t had much sleep – just three hours or so… I remember thinking to myself, “If I don’t give it my all, if I mess this up, I will never forgive myself. I will never have this opportunity again.”

According to my recollection, Halloween appears to be the event in question. It took place on a Sunday, and I was decked out for the celebration, playing the role of a vampire resting in a coffin. At around 5 o’clock, my phone rang – it was my agent with some intriguing news: they wanted me to fly out immediately for a screen test the next day, teaming up with Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller! A rehearsal would precede the screen test itself. This was an instance where I found myself lost for words. I had barely slept – just three hours… My thoughts raced: “If I don’t give my best, if I botch this, I will never be able to forgive myself. This might be my one and only chance.

Following two additional practice sessions, Polo learned that she had secured the role over the weekend, necessitating an immediate return home on Saturday evening to resume filming on Sunday and begin shooting the movie by Monday.

Apart from cherishing recollections and developing a strong relationship with the show’s cast, Polo also maintained a lasting affection for one of the cats that portrayed the beloved Jinx family pet. Having reached its retirement age, this trained feline was taken in by Polo’s mother.

In the interview, both cast members and Roach were questioned about their preferred lines from the script, with a scene involving an early dinner where Stiller’s character humorously describes milking a cat being particularly mentioned. However, while fans might adore De Niro’s quip “I have nipples, Greg, could you milk me,” it turns out that De Niro himself prefers another line as his favorite.

The quote originates from a scene where the character, playing Stiller’s overprotective father, suspects he’s been using marijuana and issues a warning, which includes the line, “I’ll take you down to Chinatown.

Robert De Niro wasn’t sure if the line was prewritten or improvised on set, but Ben Stiller was aware of the situation and informed his fellow actor that the scene had been rewritten by Hamburg. Later, when De Niro received the revised script, he read it over and gave a nod of approval.

Meet the Parents 4 is set to be released on Nov. 25, 2026.

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2025-06-28 18:25