It has been over a decade since we last checked in with the Focker and Byrnes clans, and frankly, some of us thought the “Circle of Trust” had been closed for good. However, Universal Pictures has just dropped the first trailer for Focker-In-Law, the fourth instalment in the juggernaut Meet the Parents franchise, and it seems the cringe-inducing tension is far from over.
Scheduled for a prime “Thanksgiving release“, the film looks to capitalise on that specific brand of holiday anxiety we all know too well. But does the world need another chapter of Greg Focker’s domestic woes?
The original Meet the Parents was more than just a comedy; it was a cautionary tale for anyone entering a serious relationship. We watched Ben Stiller’s Greg Focker (a well-meaning male nurse) systematically dismantled by Robert De Niro’s Jack Byrnes, a retired CIA operative with a polygraph machine and a very judgmental cat.
The brilliance of the franchise has always been its relatability, albeit exaggerated. We’ve all felt that desperate need for parental approval, though hopefully without the involvement of undercover surveillance. With Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, and the ever-eccentric Owen Wilson also returning, the foundations of the original magic are firmly in place.
The story now centres on Greg and Pam’s son, played by the talented Skyler Gisondo. Following in his father’s footsteps of questionable timing, he has proposed to a “feisty” woman who seems to be the antithesis of everything the Byrnes family stands for.
Enter global superstar Ariana Grande.
While some might argue that three films were enough, there is something undeniably comforting about the Focker-Byrnes rivalry and we can’t wait for the family reunion.
