Here at MTV Movies, we’ve been following the status of Ben Stiller’s upcoming "Little Fockers” pretty closely. Maybe we just have an adolescent obsession with curse word puns. Perhaps we need to get out more. Or possibly the prospect of a third entry in the “Meet the Parents” franchise is simply the sort of news that gives us hope in a cinematic world teeming with derivative, insulting, laugh-free “comedies."
In any event, let’s make sure you're up-to-speed. In February, we heard that “Little Fockers” was moving forward at Universal after two years of development, albeit without the services of original director Jay Roach. Then rumors surfaced that three new directors—David Wain (“Role Models”), Paul Weitz (“American Pie”) and Peyton Reed (The Break-Up”) —were in the running to helm the film. Wain confirmed to MTV News that he was indeed in talks with the studio.
Shortly thereafter, screenwriter John Hamburg—who also wrote the first two “Parents” films—told us he expects the entire cast to return, including Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand, whose last film role was in 2004’s “Meet the Fockers.”
The latest morsel of delicious "Fockers" news comes by way of Variety, which is reporting that Pete Segal, who directed the Steve Carell comedy “Get Smart,” has emerged as the favorite to take the reins of the project.
This development seems less a case of Universal being dissatisfied with its current crop of prospective “Fockers” directors than it is the fact that Segal was previously thought to be unavailable. “Get Smart 2” was supposed to go into production for Warner Bros. this year, but Carell ended up signing onto the Tina Fey comedy, “Date Night.” With the “Get Smart” sequel pushed back, Segal was suddenly free and Universal pounced.
Segal has directed some first-rate comedies (“Tommy Boy”) and some outright stinkers (“The Longest Yard"), but his last five films have all grossed in excess of $100 million at the box office—an amazing streak. Clearly, the guy knows how to handle a mainstream comedy. Rather than place its valuable “Parents” franchise in the hands of an up-and-comer (Wain) or someone who hasn’t had a big hit in a decade (Weitz), Universal seems to have decided to go with a reliable director with a long-standing track-record of box office success.
Is Segal the right man for the “Fockers” job? Do you think the entire cast will really return?
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