MOVIE NEWS – Ariana Grande wrapped her 41-date Eternal Sunshine tour in London on September 1 and intends to reduce her public appearances for a while afterward. One major exception has already been made: she plans to fully support the November release of Focker-In-Law, with a source telling People that Grande is especially proud of the comedy and her work in it.
The 33-year-old singer and actress began the tour in June, visited 10 cities, played 41 concerts and sold more than 630,000 tickets along the way. Ten of those performances took place at London’s O2 Arena alone, making the September 1 finale the end of an exceptionally intense stretch of work. Grande’s representative had already said in August that she wanted to slow down after the tour and spend some time away from the constant cycle of performances, promotional commitments and public appearances.
The decision has also been influenced by the relentless online scrutiny of Grande’s appearance in recent months. A full retreat from the spotlight will not happen immediately, however, because Focker-In-Law is clearly an important project for her. According to a source speaking to People, Grande is sufficiently proud of the movie that she intends to participate fully in its November promotional campaign before beginning the quieter period she has been planning.
In the fourth installment of the franchise that began with Meet the Parents in 2000, Grande plays Olivia Jones, girlfriend of Henry, the son of Greg Focker. Ben Stiller naturally returns as Greg, while Henry is played by Licorice Pizza and Superman actor Skyler Gisondo. The new setup flips the original movie’s dynamic: Greg, once the terrified prospective son-in-law trying to survive his future father-in-law, now finds himself preparing to occupy that position, while Robert De Niro’s famously suspicious Jack Byrnes remains very much involved. The trailer already shows Olivia receiving the traditional family treatment when Jack subjects her to a lie-detector test.
The movie also matters to Grande because she has become increasingly serious about acting following the global success of Wicked. She previously said that acting is currently the creative work inspiring her most, and Focker-In-Law gives her an opportunity to lean much more heavily into comedy. Ben Stiller praised her comic instincts during production and went so far as to describe Grande as essentially the engine driving the new film.
(Focker In-Law – Hungarian theatrical release: November 26, 2026.)
Source: UIP Dunafilm
