Ben Stiller opts to direct a World War II survival film over helming Severance season 3

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Last Updated on September 5, 2025

The latest news around Ben Stiller is the reprisal of his comedy with Robert De Niro — a fourth Meet the Parents film, in which the title has been revealed to be Focker-in-Law. John Hamburg, co-writer of the Meet the Parents trilogy, returns to write this new installment, and he also sits in the director’s chair this time around. Wicked star Ariana Grande was recently announced to be joining the fray in the role of a “ball-busting” woman engaged to Greg (Ben Stiller) and Pam (Teri Polo) Focker’s son.

Stiller will not be nesting on his return to comedy, however. The actor/director has had a career rebrand as an executive producer and director on his hit Apple TV+ series, Severance. While season 3 is on the way, Variety is reporting that Stiller will have less involvement this time around as he wants to try his hand at a World War II film. Many details on the film have yet to be revealed, including a title, but according to Variety, the plot “tells the true story of a downed airman in occupied France and how he got involved with the French Resistance.”

Additionally, Stiller is also set to lead a music business dramedy titled The Band at HBO, which is currently in development. He’s also planning a movie based on Rachel Maddow’s podcast Bag Man, which is about the bribery scandal plaguing Richard Nixon’s vice president, Spiro Agnew. Stiller told the Los Angeles Times, “These things take time to come together. and the older you get, the more you realize that you only have so much time.”

However, the comedic star also reassured fans on his social media that making the historical film does not mean he is leaving Severance. He posted about the upcoming season, saying, “It’s been full time the last 8 months working on season 3 and I’m not going anywhere. We have incredible directors and a team that creates the show. I love directing it and look forward to at some point again for sure. I feel like season 3 is going to be the best yet as we continue to evolve.”

Source: Variety, Los Angeles Times

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