‘The Family Stone’ Sequel Is Officially Happening — Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker and More Return
The Stone family is coming back for Christmas.
Searchlight Pictures has officially confirmed a sequel to the 2005 holiday film The Family Stone, with the new movie titled The Families Stone.
Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Dermot Mulroney and most of the major surviving cast members are returning. The film does not yet have a release date, but production is expected to begin in New York this fall.
The Family Stone Sequel at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Original film | The Family Stone |
| Original release | 2005 |
| Sequel | The Families Stone |
| Studio | Searchlight Pictures |
| Returning director/writer | Thomas Bezucha |
| Production | New York, fall 2026 |
| Release date | Not announced |
| Story timeline | 20 years after Sybil Stone’s death |
| Main returning stars | Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Dermot Mulroney and more |
Who Is Returning for The Families Stone?
The sequel will bring back Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Tyrone Giordano, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Schneider and Brian J. White.
Thomas Bezucha, who wrote and directed the original film, is returning in the same roles for the sequel.
Searchlight announced the project on Saturday with the message: “The Families Stone. Coming Soon.”
What Is The Families Stone About?
The new story takes place 20 years after the death of Sybil Stone, the family’s matriarch played by Diane Keaton in the original movie.
The Stone family reunites for Christmas, but their holiday takes an unexpected turn when their father, played by Craig T. Nelson, introduces them to the woman he has fallen in love with.
That setup puts the family in another uncomfortable Christmas gathering, this time with the absence of Sybil shaping the story.
Diane Keaton Will Not Return
Keaton, who played Sybil, will not appear in the sequel.
The Oscar-winning actress died from pneumonia in October 2025 at age 79.
In the original The Family Stone, Sybil brings her family together for Christmas while privately dealing with terminal breast cancer. She dies near the end of the film.
Her absence is therefore built directly into the sequel’s story rather than being ignored.
Thomas Bezucha Started Working on the Sequel After Keaton’s Death
Plans for another Family Stone story emerged after Keaton’s death.
Bezucha said he had already been working on a follow-up and that the loss of Keaton affected how he approached the new film.
He told CNN in November 2025 that he had been “haunted by the loss of Sybil” while working on the script and wanted to honor the character even more.
The Original Family Stone Cast
The 2005 movie centered on the Stone family during a chaotic Christmas visit.
Sarah Jessica Parker played Meredith Morton, the girlfriend of eldest son Everett Stone, played by Dermot Mulroney.
Meredith struggles to fit into the close-knit Stone family, creating much of the conflict in the original film.
The cast also included Rachel McAdams as Amy Stone, Claire Danes as Julie, Luke Wilson as Ben and Craig T. Nelson as the family patriarch.
The sequel brings nearly all of those surviving characters back.
What the Stars Have Said About the Sequel
The returning cast had already teased the project before the official announcement.
Mulroney said in May that everyone was ready to return and teased that audiences would not believe what had happened to the Stone family during the previous 20 years.
Luke Wilson also revealed in July that he had read the script and described it as “really funny,” adding that it was nice to see everyone wanting to work together again.
Those comments came before Searchlight officially confirmed the movie.
When Will The Family Stone Sequel Be Released?
There is currently no official release date for The Families Stone.
Production is expected to begin in New York in fall 2026.
Searchlight has only described the film as “coming soon,” so a specific theatrical or streaming date has not yet been announced.
Why Fans Are Interested in the Sequel
The Family Stone became a lasting Christmas favorite after its 2005 release, built around family tension, romance, grief and holiday traditions.
The sequel has the advantage of bringing much of the original ensemble back while also making Sybil’s absence part of the story.
For fans of the original, the biggest question is no longer whether the Stone family will reunite.
It is what happened to them during the 20 years between Christmases.
