Hold onto your hats, folks! Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro are gearing up to reunite for a brand-new Meet the Parents sequel, but here's the twist: Barbra Streisand, who played Roz Focker in the past, might not be part of the mix—at least not yet. According to an exclusive source, the focus right now is on locking in the original core cast before they even think about bringing Barbra back into the fold.
Why Ben Stiller’s Return is Key to the Franchise
Let's break this down. Ben Stiller hasn't done much acting in the past six years, so when he said yes to another Meet the Parents movie, it sent shockwaves through Hollywood. This franchise has been one of his biggest successes, and his willingness to return is driving everything, including the negotiations with his fellow castmates. Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, and Teri Polo are all in early talks to reprise their iconic roles, and that's where the real focus lies right now.
Where Does That Leave Barbra Streisand?
Barbra Streisand, who played Greg Focker's mom in Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers, isn't exactly on the top of the list right now. Sources say the studio is still working to secure the original quartet of stars before they even think about bringing her back. If there's room for Barbra later, they'll circle back around to her. But for now, the priority is getting Ben and Bob back on screen together. Let's face it, these guys don't come cheap, and the studio has to make sure they can afford everyone before expanding the cast.
Read also:Why Fans Love Willie Geist And Jenna Bush Hager Together
Ben, 59, Robert, 81, Blythe, 81, and Teri, 55, are in early talks to return for the fourth installment of the Meet the Parents franchise, according to Deadline's December 2024 report. The plot details are being kept under wraps, adding to the intrigue. Fans are eagerly waiting to see what's in store for this beloved series.
A Look Back at Barbra’s Role in the Franchise
Barbra Streisand, 82, and Dustin Hoffman played Greg Focker's parents in the 2004 sequel, Meet the Fockers. They reprised their roles as Roz and Bernie Focker in the third film, Little Fockers, in 2010. Barbra's return to acting for Meet the Fockers was a big deal at the time, as she hadn't been on the silver screen since 1996's The Mirror Has Two Faces, which she also directed. Her reluctance to act has been well-documented. In a 2004 interview with Time magazine, she admitted, "I'm just lazy. It's work when you go do a movie. You’ve got to get up early in the morning, put on makeup, have costume fittings. It’s a pain in the neck."
Despite her reluctance, Barbra found the experience of working on Meet the Fockers rewarding. "It was nice to be wanted," she said in a December 2004 interview with costar Teri Polo. "It’s happened to me very few times. I don’t know what it is, whether people are frightened of me, intimidated, or what." She even joked about hating the process of acting, saying, "Let’s go already. I wanna get home. I hate acting."
In her 2023 memoir, My Name Is Barbra, Barbra revealed a surprising twist: she learned that Dustin Hoffman was paid significantly more than her for Meet the Fockers. "On a side note, this was the first time I felt the effect of Hollywood’s unequal pay scale for men and women," she wrote. "I didn’t ask what the other actors were making, but I was definitely hurt when I found out that Dustin was getting three times as much as me, plus a tiny percentage, which is significant on a movie that made $520 million." Thankfully, her friend Ron Meyer, then head of Universal, gave her a bonus to make up for the disparity.
