Ariana Grande Set to Join Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in New ‘Meet the Parents’ Film
Months after earning an Oscar nomination for her performance in Wicked, worldwide pop star Ariana Grande has finally found her next movie. The Grammy-winning singer is set to join Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller in the newest installment of Universal’s comedy movie series, Meet the Parents, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
The THR report states that Grande will star alongside De Niro and Stiller in the new film, which is currently in development. Blythe Danner and Teri Polo, who also starred in the initial trio of movies that were released over the course of the first decade of the 2000s, are expected to return, although those deals have yet to close, according to sources.
John Hamburg, who co-wrote all three prior films, wrote the screenplay for the new feature and is set to direct. Universal has dated the film for November 25, 2026. Jay Roach, who directed the first three, is now one of the producers. The conceit of the first movie was simple: the universal life event of having your future father-in-law give his blessing to a marriage proposal. Catching combustible chemistry in a bottle, combined with spot-on directing, the movie became a commercial and critical hit when it was released in 2000.
The original Meet the Parents film grossed over $330 million in the global box office, not adjusted for inflation, and became the seventh-highest grossing film globally of that year. Sequels Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers were also box office successes, culminating in a total franchise gross of over $1.13 billion in the global box office. According to THR, while much of the plot of the new film remains under lock and key, one point revolves around the son of Stiller and Polo’s characters, who gets engaged to a ball-busting woman who seems all wrong for him. Sources say Grande will play the fiancée.
The new film will be produced by Jane Rosenthal and De Niro through their Tribeca Productions, with Roach producing through his Delirious Media. Stiller will produce with John Lesher via their Red Hour Films banner, and Hamburg will produce through Particular Pictures. Executive vp of production development Matt Reilly and director of production development Jacqueline Garell will oversee the project for Universal.
Grande’s performance in Wicked earned her an Academy Award nomination, as well as Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA nominations for best supporting actress. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture, and won for costume design and production design. Grande next appears on the big-screen reprising Glinda in Wicked: Part Two, which arrives in theaters on November 21, 2025.
According to THR, Grande has been offered numerous movie projects from Universal, Sony, and Warner Bros. in recent months, passing on all of them. She even declined a Warner comedy that would have given her the power to pick her co-star, said one source. One thing is clear, however: she was intent on finding a comedy. Grande is repped by CAA, Good World Management, and Myman Greenspan.
The addition of Grande to the Meet the Parents franchise is a significant one, bringing together a talented cast and crew for a film that is sure to be highly anticipated. With its release date set for November 2026, fans of the franchise and Grande will have to wait a while to see the new film on the big screen.
Sources close to the matter have confirmed to THR that the new film is moving forward, with production expected to begin in the near future. As more information becomes available, it is likely that fans will be eager to learn more about the plot and how Grande’s character fits into the story.
The Meet the Parents franchise has a long history of success, and with the addition of Grande, it is clear that Universal is looking to build on that success with a new and exciting film. With its talented cast and crew, this film is sure to be a hit with audiences in 2026.
