'Meet the Parents' Sequel Adds Ariana Grande and Owen Wilson as Filming Begins: Set for 2026

Owen Wilson is returning to the Focker family saga. The actor, currently starring in Apple TV+’s acclaimed Stick, joins Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in Universal’s upcoming installment of the Meet the Parents comedy series. Teri Polo, who starred in the original trilogy from the 2000s, is also reprising her role, while pop superstar Ariana Grande is set to make her film debut as the new love interest.

John Hamburg, who co-wrote all three previous films and directed the last two, penned the screenplay for this new chapter and will direct. The studio has scheduled the film for release on November 25, 2026. Paramount Pictures will co-produce and handle international distribution.

The franchise began in 2000 with Meet the Parents, focusing on Greg Focker (Stiller) trying to win over his fiancée’s stern father. The series expanded with Meet the Fockers (2004), introducing Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand, and Little Fockers (2010). Wilson’s character — an ex-fiancé of Polo’s character — had memorable scenes as a wealthy, talented handyman loved by her family. He appeared in all three films and will reprise his role.

While plot details are under wraps, reports suggest that one storyline involves Stiller and Polo’s son getting engaged to a formidable woman — Grande will play her. The project is produced by Jane Rosenthal and De Niro’s Tribeca Productions, Roach’s Delirious Media, Stiller’s Red Hour Films, and Hamburg’s Particular Pictures.

Wilson's last big-screen appearance was in 2023’s Haunted Mansion, which underperformed at the box office. He also reprised Mobius in season two of Disney+’s Loki.