Ben Stiller made a surprising admission about Meet the parents franchise, admitting that the series lost its way during its third installment while preparing fans for the sequel to come, Beau-Focker.
Ahead of the new film’s theatrical release on Nov. 25, 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 catalog to enjoy the fourth film, Stiller was remarkably blunt, telling them “No!” and specifying that he only personally supports the first two films in the series.
The actor’s candid comments specifically threw the third film under the bus, although he offered a diplomatic “We’re still trying. Totally,” when asked exactly what was wrong with that project.
The confession came just hours after Stiller and legendary co-star Robert De Niro appeared at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to drum up excitement for Universal’s new sequel.
The duo unveiled the first trailer for Beau-Fockerwhich shifts the focus to Greg and Pam’s now-adult children, played by Skyler Gisondo and Beanie Feldstein.
The plot of the new film revolves around the upcoming marriage of Greg’s son Henry to a newcomer named Olivia, played by pop superstar Ariana Grande.
True to the roots of the series, suspect Jack Byrnes is back with his famous lie detector test. While Olivia manages to succeed and earn her first place in the “circle of trust”, she still manages to rub her future father-in-law, Greg, the wrong way.
Insiders suggest that even though Jack passed the test, there’s much more to the bride-to-be than meets the eye, which promises 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, particularly the original. Meet the parents and its 2004 follow-up, 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 might be enough to regain their trust ahead of The Fockers’ return to the big screen in November.
