Ariana Grande makes an unexpected entrance in a new promotional video for “Focker-in-Law”, playfully interrupting three of her castmates. Skyler Gisondo, Beanie Feldstein and Eduardo Franco are recalling their work on “Booksmart” when the singer steps into the shot and hugs Feldstein. Universal Pictures shared the clip on November 2, ahead of the comedy’s US cinema release on November 25, 2026.
Ariana Grande turns a reunion between three former castmates into a shared joke in a new “Focker-in-Law” video. Skyler Gisondo, Beanie Feldstein and Eduardo Franco are chatting about working together again when Ariana Grande suddenly joins them. The clip, released by Universal Pictures on Monday, November 2, offers a brief look at the newer members of the comedy’s ensemble as promotion builds towards its November cinema release.
Titled “Basecamp Connections”, the video was filmed backstage, near the actors’ trailers. It is a short promotional conversation among colleagues rather than a television interview. The relaxed setting gives the cast room to talk about their earlier work together and the experience of joining the new production. Before Grande arrives, the conversation centres on a film that the other three already have in common.
Gisondo, Feldstein and Franco all appeared in “Booksmart”, the 2019 comedy that marked Olivia Wilde’s feature directorial debut. Seven years later, they have reunited for “Focker-in-Law”, joining a larger cast that also includes familiar faces from the “Meet the Parents” series. Their shared history provides the starting point for the clip, with the actors reflecting on the unexpected pleasure of finding themselves on the same set again.
Gisondo talks about how surprising it was for all three to land in the production after so much time had passed. Franco recalls discovering that he would be working with his old castmates, while the conversation turns to the roles they play and how their characters relate to one another. The exchange is affectionate and informal, with the earlier film giving them an easy source of jokes.
That is when Ariana Grande appears. She moves towards Feldstein, hugs her and laughingly explains to the camera that, although she was not in “Booksmart”, she loves them all. Her arrival shifts the focus from the three actors’ reunion to the friendship within the current cast. The remark also sets up a reply from her colleagues, who point out that they were not in the “Wicked” films either.
Feldstein takes the joke further by suggesting that she would have been excellent in “Wicked”. She then wonders which character she might have played and proposes one of the monkeys. Grande immediately rejects that suggestion with a laughing response. It is a small exchange, built around the films that brought them here, and it closes the clip with the singer fully involved in the conversation she has just interrupted.
Ariana Grande still wears the blonde ponytail associated with her portrayal of Glinda in this footage. Since finishing work on “Focker-in-Law”, she has returned to brunette hair and unveiled a shorter haircut in October. The video therefore reflects the period of production rather than her most recent appearance. Her role as Glinda, which earned her an Oscar nomination, is also the reason the “Wicked” reference comes so naturally into the conversation.
In the new comedy, Grande plays Olivia, the girlfriend of Henry Focker, portrayed by Gisondo. Henry is the son of Ben Stiller’s Greg Focker. Olivia’s introduction to the family creates the conditions for another round of misunderstandings, as Greg becomes suspicious of his son’s partner. Her arrival places Ariana Grande within a familiar comic structure, with a new relationship exposing the family’s anxieties and competing expectations.
Robert De Niro returns as Jack Byrnes, whose 80th birthday provides the occasion for the family gathering. Henry brings Olivia into that setting, where Greg struggles to trust her while Jack appears far more welcoming. Feldstein plays Greg’s daughter Samantha, and Franco appears as her partner, Eduardo. Their relationships in the film give the three-way reunion in the promotional video another connection to the story audiences will see on screen.
Teri Polo, Blythe Danner and Owen Wilson also return from the earlier films. John Hamburg wrote and directed “Focker-in-Law”, having previously worked on the scripts for the franchise’s first three instalments. The series began with “Meet the Parents” in 2000, followed by “Meet the Fockers” in 2004 and “Little Fockers” in 2010. The new production continues that family history with a younger generation entering the picture.
Ariana Grande is also scheduled to join Stiller and De Niro on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Sunday, November 8. That appearance is still ahead at the time of publication and forms part of the film’s promotional schedule. “Focker-in-Law” is due in US cinemas on November 25, during Thanksgiving week. Before then, “Basecamp Connections” leaves viewers with Grande embracing Feldstein and joining her castmates’ joke about the films they did, and did not, make together.
