Ben Stiller is everywhere this November. The comedy star is back as Greg Focker in a new Meet the Parents sequel, he is directing a documentary about the New York Knicks’ championship run, and he made headlines for asking the White House to remove a clip from one of his films. Here is the latest news on Ben Stiller.
Focker In-Law Arrives for Thanksgiving
The biggest Ben Stiller news this month is Focker In-Law, the fourth film in the Meet the Parents franchise and the first since Little Fockers in 2010. The film opens in cinemas on November 25, 2026, just in time for Thanksgiving.
This time the roles are reversed. Stiller’s Greg Focker, once the hapless son-in-law squirming under the suspicious gaze of Robert De Niro’s ex-CIA patriarch Jack Byrnes, is now the overprotective father sizing up his son’s fiancée. Greg and Pam’s son Henry, played by Skyler Gisondo, is about to get engaged to Olivia, played by Ariana Grande — and Greg is not taking it well.
Directed by John Hamburg, who co-wrote the three previous films, the cast also includes Teri Polo, Blythe Danner, Owen Wilson, Beanie Feldstein and Eduardo Franco. Universal Pictures has released a featurette, “A Look Inside”, giving fans a peek at the family dynamic, and the cast has been on the promotional trail all month.
The Tonight Show Appearance
Stiller, De Niro and Grande appeared together on a special Sunday-night edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on November 8, 2026, to promote the film. In a preview clip released ahead of the show, the three stars performed a surprise version of “O Christmas Tree” — Grande taking the lead on vocals while Stiller and De Niro joined in — as Fallon celebrated the arrival of the 2026 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. It was the second of four special Tonight Show episodes airing after NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcasts this season.
Directing the Knicks Championship Documentary
Stiller, a famously devoted New York Knicks fan, is also directing a documentary about the Knicks’ title run for HBO and A24. The project came to light over the summer, after the Knicks won their first championship in 53 years, and Stiller has been filming for a while — with more shooting planned into next season.
Knicks owner James Dolan chose Stiller over filmmaker Spike Lee for the project, according to reports. Days after the title win, Stiller discussed the film on a podcast hosted by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, saying the championship sits at the centre of the story but that it will reach back past a single season. There is no release date yet.
Stiller’s courtside passion was on display again this month when he shouted out Knicks guard Landry Shamet on X after Shamet scored 22 points against the Washington Wizards on November 3, 2026.
The Tropic Thunder Clip Request
Stiller also made news for a very different reason: he publicly asked the White House to remove a clip from his 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder from a video montage of military strike footage. In a post on X in early March 2026, he wrote: “Hey White House, please remove the Tropic Thunder clip. We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie.”
The clip in question was a brief scene of Tom Cruise’s character, studio executive Les Grossman, dancing. Stiller’s request arrived as a public post rather than a legal filing, and it drew a sharply divided reaction online — with KISS co-founder Gene Simmons among those taking the other side.
Family Life in the Spotlight
With Focker In-Law on the way, coverage of Stiller’s own family life has also resurfaced. He and his wife Christine Taylor have been married for almost three decades and share two children, daughter Ella Olivia Stiller and son Quinlin Dempsey Stiller, both of whom are involved in acting. Taylor has spoken about how their relationship began almost as a rebound — a story that has charmed fans as the couple promote the new film together.
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The Bottom Line
The latest Ben Stiller news is a full slate: Focker In-Law opens in cinemas on November 25, 2026, his Knicks championship documentary for HBO and A24 is in production, and he continues to speak his mind — whether from courtside at Madison Square Garden or in a pointed post to the White House. For a star who has been making audiences laugh for three decades, November 2026 is shaping up to be one of his busiest months yet.