Fourth installment of 'Meet the Parents' to star Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande has been confirmed to star opposite Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in Universal Pictures’ upcoming film, Meet the Parents 4. This announcement marks Grande’s next major acting role following her Academy Award-nominated performance as Glinda in Wicked.

The Meet the Parents franchise, which includes the original 2000 film and its sequels Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers, has been a commercial success, grossing over $1.13 billion worldwide. While plot details for the fourth installment remain undisclosed, producer Jane Rosenthal told Variety that the story will reflect the characters’ aging, noting that Stiller’s character is now the same age De Niro’s was in the first film, with their children grown up and returning home to meet the parents.

John Hamburg, who co-wrote the previous three films, has penned the screenplay and is set to direct the new installment. The film is scheduled for theatrical release on November 25, 2026. Production is overseen by a team including Rosenthal and De Niro through Tribeca Productions, Jay Roach through Delirious Media, and Ben Stiller and John Lesher via Red Hour Films, with Hamburg producing through Particular Pictures. Universal’s Executive Vice President of production development, Matt Reilly, and Director of production development, Jacqueline Garell, are supervising the project.

Grande’s casting is seen as a significant addition to the franchise, especially given her ongoing relationship with Universal. She will next appear in Wicked: For Good, the highly anticipated sequel to the Broadway adaptation Wicked, scheduled for release on November 21, 2025. As a music artist, Grande boasts nine Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits and two Grammy Awards from 15 nominations. As an actor, she has earned critical acclaim with nominations from the Oscars, Golden Globes, SAG, and BAFTA.