Everything We Know About ‘Focker-in-Law’

After years of surviving Jack Byrnes’ (De Niro) grueling scrutiny, Greg Focker (Stiller) is finally getting a taste of his own medicine. In “Focker-in-Law,” Greg and Pam’s (Polo) son, Henry (Gisondo), is all grown up and ready to tie the knot. The only problem? His fiancée, Olivia (Grande), is a fierce, no-nonsense woman who Greg is convinced is entirely wrong for his son.

Making matters worse, Greg is the only one who seems to see it. While Jack and the rest of the clan instantly welcome Olivia with open arms, Greg finds himself locked in a rocky, distrustful standoff with his future daughter-in-law. It certainly doesn’t help his anxiety that Olivia is a former FBI hostage negotiator, a background tailor-made to completely dismantle a Focker family gathering.

The original “Meet the Parents” (2000) was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $330 million worldwide and ranking seventh among that year’s top-grossing films. The sequels, “Meet the Fockers” (2004) and “Little Fockers” (2010), were also box-office successes, bringing the series to a total of over $1 billion.

The cast includes:

• Robert De Niro as Jack Byrnes
• Owen Wilson as Kevin Rawley
• Ben Stiller as Greg Focker
• Skyler Gisondo as Henry Focker
• Teri Polo as Pam Focker
• Ariana Grande as Olivia Jones
• Blythe Danner as Dina Byrnes
• Beanie Feldstein as Samantha Focker

Gisondo shared what it was like getting to reunite with Stiller more than a decade after “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” (2014), which was filmed when he was a teenager.

“It’s funny. I would see him doing things before takes and realize that’s something I’ve been doing for over 10 years. It had been so long I didn’t even realize I had gotten it from Ben—little mannerisms or things to sort of drop in and get into something,” he told us. “It was also helpful for the movie, because it felt familial immediately. Ben was just this person I had such love for, and he had always been so good to me.”

Gisondo also said he grew up with the “Meet the Parents” movies, so filming “Focker-in-Law” was “surreal. I mean, Robert De Niro, Ariana Grande—just these titans. Robert De Niro is literally the greatest actor of all time, and he’s playing your grandpa.” He added there were “a lot of pinch-yourself moments” and said he felt “an immense responsibility to get it right.”

As for Grande, Stiller said she slipped easily into the ensemble. “She’s such a pro, she’s so funny, she’s so talented,” he told People, adding that Olivia is “a very unique character.” 

De Niro called Grande “probably the single funniest scene partner I’ve ever been lucky enough to share the screen with.”

John Hamburg, who co-wrote all three previous “Meet the Parents” movies, wrote and directed “Focker-in-Law.”

Jane Rosenthal and De Niro are producing through Tribeca Productions; Stiller and John Lesher through Red Hour Films; Jay Roach through Delirious Media; and Hamburg through Particular Pictures. Roach directed the first two films and has remained involved with the franchise as a producer.

“Focker-in-Law” has completed production, but actors can keep their résumé fresh by checking out these movie projects and our Ultimate Guide to Getting Cast in a Movie or TV Show for audition tips and advice. Here are similar projects in the works: