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Jean Smart Joins 'The Families Stone' Sequel Post-'Hacks
Confirmed
In Short: Jean Smart, who recently won her fifth consecutive Emmy for her role in 'Hacks,' has signed on to star in 'The Families Stone,' the long-awaited sequel to the 2005 holiday comedy-drama 'The Family Stone.
The new film, set 20 years after the original, reunites much of the original cast, including Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Dermot Mulroney. The sequel, directed by Thomas Bezucha, who helmed the first film, will focus on the Stone family gathering for Christmas following the death of matriarch Sybil Stone, played by the late Diane Keaton.
In the sequel, Mulroney's character Everett brings home a new love interest, played by Smart, as he plans to propose to her. However, the family's chaotic dynamics are expected to complicate the proceedings, much like in the original film.
The original 'The Family Stone' was a holiday favorite, grossing $92.9 million worldwide and becoming a staple of Christmas movie marathons. The film followed Sarah Jessica Parker's character Meredith Morton as she navigated the eccentric Stone family during a chaotic holiday visit.
Bezucha, who wrote and directed the original, has been working on the sequel since shortly after Keaton's death in October 2025. He revealed the project in 2025, and Searchlight Pictures officially announced the film in September.
The sequel is set to begin filming in New York in the fall, bringing back the beloved characters and the Stone family's iconic home. Smart's role marks her return to the big screen after wrapping the final season of 'Hacks.
Smart, a veteran actress with numerous accolades, including eight Emmys, three SAG Awards, and two Golden Globes, has been a consistent presence in both television and film. Her upcoming role in 'The Families Stone' promises to blend her comedic timing with the holiday spirit of the original film.
The announcement of 'The Families Stone' comes as a welcome return for fans of the original, offering a chance to revisit the Stone family's antics and see how the characters have evolved over the years.
What this adds
The sequel is officially titled 'The Families Stone,' a slight change from the original 'The Family Stone.
Background
The Family Stone is a 2005 American Christmas comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas Bezucha. Produced by Michael London and distributed by 20th Century Fox, it stars an ensemble cast, including Claire Danes, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T.
Hacks is an American dark comedy drama television series created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky that premiered on May 13, 2021, on HBO Max.
What's confirmed
- She most recently wrapped the fifth and final season of Hacks.
What's still developing
- Fresh off her fifth-straight (and final) Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy for “Hacks,” Jean Smart has found next role.
- The 20th Century Fox film from 2005 made $92 million globally and it’s one of those cozy holiday comedies about an uptight businesswoman (Parker) meeting her boyfriend’s eccentric and often judgy family for the first time.
- “The Family Stone” was Bezucha’s second feature following “Big Eden.” He’s since directed “Monte Carlo,” “Let Him Go,” and several episodes of “Fargo,” for which he received an Emmy nomination.
- Everett planned to propose to Meredith, but after she became overwhelmed by the family’s hostile reception, she asked her sister, Julie (Danes), to join her for support, sparking a chaotic holiday visit.
- “The Family Stone” refers, of course, to Everett’s family, but also to an heirloom wedding ring Meredith must prove she’s worthy of by winning over Everett’s mother.
- “Mentally, I’ve been spending time in that house where I’ve been missing her for a while already.” Smart is repped by WME and Untitled Entertainment.
- “It’s a comedy with a dash of tragedy — the kind of thing that usually makes me puke,” Peter Travers wrote in his Rolling Stone review of the film in 2005.
- Nelson, Luke Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, and Paul Schneider would reprise their roles, Variety reports.
- “Family Stone” is also a reference to Sybil’s mother’s wedding ring, which Meredith hopes to prove she is worthy of during her visit.
Sources
- IndieWirelink
- The Hollywood Reporterlink
- Varietylink
- Thoughtcataloglink
- Rolling Stonelink
- Varietylink
- Thewraplink
- Abcnewslink
- The Hollywood Reporterlink
- Avclublink
- Worldofreellink
- Deadlinelink
- Comicbasicslink
- Joblolink
- Laughingplacelink
- Wikipedia — background on The Family Stone link
- Entertainment Tonight — video link