Get ready for another round of Focker family chaos! A fourth installment in the beloved comedy franchise, Meet the Parents, is officially in the works, set to hit theaters on November 25, 2026. Fans can anticipate the return of core cast members, including Ben Stiller as Greg Focker, Robert De Niro as Jack Byrnes, Blythe Danner as Dina Byrnes, Owen Wilson as Kevin Rawley, and Teri Polo as Pam Focker. However, there’s one major character whose return is looking uncertain: Barbra Streisand’s iconic Roz Focker.
Why Barbra Streisand Might Not Return for Meet the Parents 4
According to recent comments made by the EGOT-winning actress and singer, reprising her role as the free-spirited mother of Greg Focker in the new film would require a significant payday. Streisand expressed her long-standing frustration regarding her compensation for her previous appearances in the sequels, Meet the Fockers (2004) and Little Fockers (2010).
“They’d have to pay me a lot of money because I didn’t get paid what the other people got paid and so I’m pissed off,” Streisand candidly told Variety in a recent interview. She placed this experience within the context of an era “when women were getting paid less than the men.”
While she noted that the head of Universal at the time, Ron Meyer, did send her a bonus check which she found “very sweet,” it appears the gesture wasn’t enough to fully resolve her feelings about the pay disparity years later. Her justified “bone to pick” contrasts sharply with the often petty grudges depicted within the fictional Focker/Byrnes dynamic.
New Faces Join the Family
While Streisand’s return as Roz Focker remains in question, the fourth film is confirmed to introduce a major new character played by pop superstar and acclaimed actress Ariana Grande. Following her standout performance in Wicked, Grande is set to join the comedy franchise.
Sources indicate that the plot for Meet the Parents 4 will center around Greg and Pam Focker’s son getting engaged. Ariana Grande will reportedly play his fiancée, described as a “ball-busting woman who seems all wrong for him,” adding a new dynamic to the always-turbulent family gatherings.
The screenplay for the upcoming sequel was written by John Hamburg, who co-wrote the previous three films and is also set to direct. Jay Roach, who directed the original trilogy, will serve as a producer.
Interestingly, Barbra Streisand’s recent interview where she discussed her potential Meet the Parents 4 return was conducted while promoting her new album of duets, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two. Adding a layer of coincidence, Ariana Grande is one of the artists featured on this very album, appearing alongside Streisand and Mariah Carey on the track “One Heart, One Voice.”
As the November 25, 2026 release date approaches, whether or not Barbra Streisand’s Roz Focker makes an appearance will likely depend on whether the studio is willing to meet her financial expectations and acknowledge the past pay concerns that have left her “pissed off.” Regardless, the Focker-Byrnes saga continues, promising new laughs and, undoubtedly, plenty of in-law tension.
