Robert De Niro has confirmed that he is returning for Meet the Parents 4, reprising his beloved role as the no-nonsense Jack Byrnes. The Oscar-winning actor appeared on Wednesday's episode of The View, where he was grilled by host Sara Haines on whether he was involved with the reported fourth installment of the Meet the Parents franchise. De Niro didn't need to be hooked up to a lie detector, as he gave a very frank response to the question, confirming that "yes" he would be back on our screens for the upcoming sequel.
A remake of a 1992 independent film of the same name, Meet the Parents became one of the highest-grossing movies of the year when it was released in 2000, earning $330.4 million at the worldwide box office, and spawned two sequels, 2004's Meet the Fockers and 2010's Little Fockers. It seems that there is more milking (and hopefully not of the cat variety) of the franchise to come, as it was reported in December 2024 that a fourth movie is in development, with John Hamburg, who wrote all three previous entries, returning to write the sequel.
In addition to De Niro, it was reported that Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, and Blythe Danner were in talks to reprise their respective characters as Gaylord "Greg" Focker, Pam Byrnes, and Dina Byrnes. However, Jay Roach, who helmed the previous entries, is not set to return as the director, but he is staying on board as one of the movie's producers alongside De Niro and Jane Rosenthal.
Plot details are also unknown, and De Niro remained tight-lipped on the subject, as The View and its audience have clearly not earned a place in his Circle of Trust. The three previous movies, released between 2000 and 2010 and now streaming on Netflix, collectively grossed over $1 billion at the box office, but Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers were not as well received by critics as the original film. The most recent sequel, in particular, was panned for its inconsistent tone, recycled jokes, and lackluster efforts, earning it only a 9% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Now, 25 years on since the original movie hit screens, the franchise has an opportunity to return to its roots and bring the story full circle. Greg and Pam's twins, Samantha and Henry, celebrated their fifth birthdays in Little Fockers, which means we could see them, now in their 20s, flip the dynamic by bringing their significant others home to "meet the parents." Greg would naturally assume the overprotective father role that De Niro's Jack had in the original movie while perhaps also seeking advice from his father-in-law, who is certainly adept at navigating such situations, possibly recapturing some of the magic from the first movie.
Let's just hope that he doesn't find a reason to dust off his polygraph machine again, though it would no doubt lead to more hilarity, much like the original scene — which De Niro told GQ was his own idea after speaking to "a CIA friend" about the lie detector tests they had to conduct, leading to one of the franchise's funniest moments.
In December 2024, it was also reported that the original cast, including Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Owen Wilson, and Thomas McCarthy, could potentially return. The anticipation surrounding Meet the Parents 4 is growing, though the release date and any additional details are still under wraps. With De Niro’s confirmation on The View, fans are eager for what’s next in this beloved franchise, and only time will tell if it can reclaim the charm of its origins while delivering fresh comedic twists.
