Ben Stiller throws subtle shade at 'Little Fockers' ahead of new sequel

The Meet the Parents franchise is back – and this time, it’s bringing Ariana Grande along for the chaos. 

But before fans get too excited, Ben Stiller just dropped a refreshingly honest take on the series… and yeah, not all sequels made the cut.

With Focker-In-Law hitting theaters November 25, the story shifts to the next generation. Greg and Pam’s son, Henry, is ready to marry Olivia (Grande) – a match that already sounds like a headache waiting to happen.

Naturally, fans are spiraling. One even admitted on X: Yall I did not watch the first 3 movies (and I don’t want to watch it either) but I want to watch the 4th one. Will I lose major plot?”

Stiller, never one to overcomplicate things, replied: “No! But I stand by the first two.”

Translation? You can skip a chapter… maybe just not all of them.

When another fan pressed him about Little Fockers, asking what went wrong, Stiller kept it diplomatic: “We always try. Fully.” Not exactly a glowing review – but hey, effort counts?

Still, the actor seems all in on this new installment. While appearing at CinemaCon, he joked about the franchise’s long gap, calling it a “fully intentional 15-year break between movies three and four.”

And in classic Stiller fashion, he could not resist poking at Robert De Niro: “I guess you could say I’m the new De Niro of the franchise.”

De Niro’s response? Immediate. “Don’t say that. It’s very disrespectful… You made a very unflattering comparison that forced me to defend my honor.”

Family dysfunction is clearly still the brand – on and off screen.