After earning an Oscar nomination for her role as Glinda in Wicked, Ariana Grande is jumping from Oz to a much more grounded and dysfunctional world: the Focker family reunion.
Grande is officially joining Meet the Parents 4, starring alongside franchise staples Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. The sequel is coming from Universal Pictures, which has banked over $1.1 billion globally on the series since the original debuted back in 2000. That’s a lot of awkward family dinners.
While plot details are under wraps, longtime producer Jane Rosenthal previously teased:
“Stiller is now the same age that [De Niro] was when we did the first one, and his kids have grown up, and they have to come home and meet the parents.”
So yes, it looks like it’s Stiller’s turn to play the overprotective dad, and if we’re placing bets, Ariana Grande might just be the significant other walking into the family firestorm.
John Hamburg, who co-wrote all three previous films, returns as both writer and director. Rosenthal and De Niro will produce under Tribeca Productions, with Jay Roach on board via Delirious Media, and Stiller producing through Red Hour Films. Universal is targeting a November 25, 2026 theatrical release.
Grande is already a proven hitmaker for the studio thanks to Wicked, and she brings more than just pop power. The artist now has serious acting clout with an Academy Award nomination, plus nods from the Golden Globes, BAFTA, and SAG.
Whether she’s playing the poised outsider or matching Stiller’s neurotic energy with her own comedic attempts, Grande’s addition adds fresh energy to a franchise that has always thrived on uncomfortable generational clashes.
Get ready. The circle of trust is opening back up, this time with Ariana Grande at the table.
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