Ben Stiller makes major confession about ‘Focker' movies

Ben Stiller has made a surprising admission about the Meet the Parents franchise, confessing that the series lost its way during its third instalment while preparing fans for the upcoming sequel, Focker-In-Law.

Ahead of the new film’s theatrical release on 25 November, the Emmy-winning actor took to social media to steer viewers away from 2010’s Little Fockers. 

When asked by a fan if it was necessary to watch the entire back catalogue to enjoy the fourth movie, Stiller was remarkably blunt, telling them "No!" and clarifying that he personally only stands by the first two films in the series.

The actor’s candid comments specifically threw the third film under the bus, though he offered a diplomatic "We always try. Fully," when pressed on exactly what went wrong with that project.

The confession came just hours after Stiller and his legendary co-star Robert De Niro appeared at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to drum up excitement for the new Universal sequel. 

The duo unveiled the first trailer for Focker-In-Law, which shifts the focus to Greg and Pam’s now-grown children, played by Skyler Gisondo and Beanie Feldstein.

The plot of the new movie revolves around the upcoming wedding of Greg’s son, Henry, to a newcomer named Olivia, played by pop superstar Ariana Grande. 

True to the series' roots, the suspicious Jack Byrnes is back with his infamous lie detector test. While Olivia manages to pass and earn her initial spot in the "circle of trust," she still manages to rub her future father-in-law, Greg, the wrong way. 

Insiders suggest that despite passing Jack's test, there is far more to the bride-to-be than meets the eye, promising the kind of family friction that made the original 2000 film a hit.

By distancing himself from the poorly received third chapter, Stiller seems to be signalling a return to the quality of the earlier movies, specifically the original Meet the Parents and its 2004 follow-up, Meet the Fockers. 

With a cast that blends the original heavyweights with new stars like Grande and Feldstein, the studio is clearly hoping to recapture the magic of the franchise's peak. 

For fans who felt let down by previous sequels, Stiller’s refreshing honesty might be just enough to win back their trust before the Fockers return to the big screen this November.