It’s no secret why big-screen comedies dried up over the previous decade.
The woke thoughts virus contaminated Hollywood, and immediately studios have been afraid of social media blowback. Even comedy mastermind Todd Phillips ditched the style, directing two “Joker” movies fairly than working afoul of the woke police.
The re-election of Donald Trump and the return of ribald roasts recommended the woke handcuffs have been a factor of the previous in La La Land.
Assume once more, says veteran Hollywood producer Jane Rosenthal.
Jane Rosenthal on making a fourth “Meet the Mother and father” movie:
“We’d at all times talked about it. Ben Stiller is now the identical age that [Robert De Niro] was after we did the primary one, and his children have grown up, they usually have to return residence and meet the dad and mom. I can’t disclose something… pic.twitter.com/J3ugNJdccv
— Selection (@Selection) Might 28, 2025
She didn’t say so straight, however her feedback throughout a brand new interview screamed that arduous reality.
Rosenthal opened up about efforts to make a fourth “Meet the Mother and father” movie to Selection this week. Rosenthal shared that star Ben Stiller is now about the identical age that Robert De Niro was within the first “Mother and father” outing – 59. That 2000 movie earned $166 million on the U.S. field workplace and helped cement De Niro as a comic book actor after many years of gritty, R-rated performances.
“Meet the Fockers” and “Little Fockers” adopted, the latter incomes a hearty $148 million within the U.S. Evaluations weren’t type, although, and the franchise stalled.
Now, Greg Focker and associates are coming again, however Rosenthal says some issues have modified through the years. Specifically, the unofficial comedy bylaws.
How has the enterprise modified within the 25 years because you made “Meet the Mother and father”? Had been there jokes you wanted to rethink?
Effectively, that’s asking me concerning the script — so I can’t inform you! One of many issues that’s modified, although, is that what’s occurred in our society means there are jokes you possibly can’t inform anymore [emphasis added]. And it’s a must to take into consideration who’s going to have points with a joke now. The second film was known as “Meet the Fockers.” I don’t know should you may name it that at present.
Rosenthal doesn’t seem to struggle again in opposition to these restrictions within the interview. Perhaps she feels that approach privately, however she’s not keen to go public with these views.
It’s additionally value noting the “Fockers” franchise by no means pushed the envelope like different R-rated romps – suppose “Marriage ceremony Crashers,” “Outdated Faculty” or Phillips’ “Hangover” franchise.
The PG-13 franchise appealed to most audiences and didn’t encourage a lot, if any, in the way in which of controversy.
Inform that to Rosenthal, who admits any “Mother and father” sequel must play by the brand new guidelines. And, chances are high, it’ll make a fraction of the cash that its predecessors earned.