Ben Stiller has made a surprising admission about Meet the parents franchise admitting that the series lost ground during its third installment while preparing fans for the upcoming sequel, Brother-in-law.
Ahead of the new film’s Nov. 25 theatrical release, the Emmy-winning actor took to social media to steer viewers away from the 2010s Little Fockers.
When asked by a fan if it was necessary to watch the entire back catalog to enjoy the fourth film, Stiller was remarkably blunt, saying “No!” and clarifies that he personally only stands by the first two films in the series.
The actor’s candid comments specifically threw the third film under the bus, though he offered a diplomatic “We always try. Full out” when pressed on exactly what went wrong with that project.
The confession came just hours after Stiller and his legendary co-star Robert De Niro appeared at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to drum up excitement for the new Universal sequel.
The duo unveiled the first trailer for Brother-in-lawwhich shifts the focus to Greg and Pam’s now grown children, played by Skyler Gisondo and Beanie Feldstein.
The plot of the new film revolves around the upcoming wedding of Greg’s son, Henry, to a newcomer named Olivia, played by pop superstar Ariana Grande.
True to the show’s roots, the suspicious Jack Byrnes is back with his infamous lie detector test. While Olivia manages to pass and earn her first place in the “circle of trust,” she still manages to rub her soon-to-be father-in-law, Greg, the wrong way.
Insiders suggest that despite passing Jack’s test, there is far more to the bride-to-be than meets the eye, promising the kind of family friction that made the original 2000 film a hit.
By distancing himself from the poorly received third chapter, Stiller seems to be signaling a return to the quality of the previous films, specifically the original. Meet the parents and its follow-up in 2004, Meet the Fockers.
With a cast that mixes the original heavyweights with new stars like Grande and Feldstein, the studio is clearly hoping to recapture the magic of the franchise’s heyday.
For fans who felt let down by previous sequels, Stiller’s refreshing honesty may be just enough to win back their trust before Fockers returns to the big screen in November.
