When it comes to Christmas movies, there are the old classics — It’s A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol — and then there are the new classics, like Home Alone and Elf. Nestled into the latter category is the 2005 dramedy The Family Stone. It’s got all the makings of a movie worthy of your annual holiday rotation: a sprawling yet somehow also cozy New England house, a giant close-knit family, an increasingly awkward Christmas visit, and the lovely late Diane Keaton anchoring it all as Sybil Stone, the fiercely loving (if not a little formidable) matriarch.
Does the plot have some serious holes? Sure. Do we care? Not at all. We can’t get enough of the Stone family, and it looks like there may be even more of their dysfunctional fun to enjoy in the future — nearly 20 years later, writer and director Thomas Bezucha says he’s officially working on a follow-up that could bring the Stones back together.
Could this really be happening? Is it a Christmas miracle? Here’s what you need to know.
What did Bezucha say about a sequel?
In a recent interview with CNN, Bezucha shared that he’s been quietly shaping the story for a while now. His desire to finish the script, he says, gained even more poignancy in the light of Keaton’s recent passing at the age of 79.
“I’ve been haunted by the loss of Sybil for months now while I worked on it, and so this was a blow on a tender bruise already. Mentally, I’ve been spending time in that house where I’ve been missing her for a while already,” he explained.
That heartbreak, he said, has only deepened his desire to “honor her even more” and “do a good job by the rest of the cast” in creating a follow-up.
Has anyone from the original cast signed on yet?
According to Bezucha, he got “unanimously positive responses” when he reached out to the cast to gauge interest. Still, no one has “officially signed on,” which makes sense considering the film hasn’t even been greenlit yet by Disney (who acquired 20th Century Fox, the film’s original distributor, in 2019).
Bezucha is clear about one thing, though: He wouldn’t want to move forward without the cast that started the Stone family journey. “I’m not interested in the Brady family reunion without the original Jan.”
If you need a refresher on the 2005 film, Dermot Mulroney plays Everett Stone, who’s bringing home his girlfriend, Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker), to meet his family. Luke Wilson and Tyrone Giordano play Everett’s brothers, Ben and Thad, while Rachel McAdams and Elizabeth Reaser round out the Stone family as sisters Amy and Susannah. Craig T. Nelson stars as Kelly, Sybil’s husband and the family patriarch. Claire Danes has a very brief but memorable turn as Meredith’s sister Julie, and Brian J. White plays dream brother-in-law Patrick.
What would a sequel be about?
Well, the Stone family, obviously… but other than that, Bezucha is staying mum. Since the movie hasn’t officially been sanctioned by the studio yet, it could be a hot minute before we hear anything about the plot, production timeline, or casting developments.
Still, that won’t stop fans from freaking out. Enthusiasm about the project has already kicked into overdrive, and who can blame anyone? The movie is peak early-aughts holiday comfort.
It feels safe to assume the movie will lovingly revisit Sybil and her legacy within the family. Maybe Meredith and Ben got married. Or Everett and Julie did. Maybe they all have kids of their own, and the sequel reveals how they’re trying to keep Sybil’s holiday traditions alive — and realizing, in that pursuit, just how much magic their mom brought to the table.
The Family Stone is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+, and that feels like the perfect excuse for a rewatch while we wait to see whether the family reunion of the decade comes together.
