The Stone family is getting back together for Christmas. Searchlight Pictures has officially confirmed a sequel to The Family Stone, with Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel McAdams and several other original cast members returning more than 20 years after the 2005 film. Titled The Families Stone, the sequel will once again be written and directed by Thomas Bezucha.

What Is The Families Stone About?

The sequel takes place 20 years after the death of Stone family matriarch Sybil, played by the late Diane Keaton in the original film. Once again, the family reunites for Christmas, but Kelly Stone, played by Craig T. Nelson, has a surprise waiting for everyone when he introduces them to the woman he has fallen in love with.

The official logline reads: “Twenty years after their mother’s passing, the Stone family reunites for Christmas only to face the season’s biggest surprise: their father has unexpectedly invited the woman he’s fallen in love with to meet the family.”

Who Is Returning for The Family Stone Sequel?

Claire Danes will return as Julie Morton, with Rachel McAdams as Amy Stone, Dermot Mulroney as Everett Stone, Craig T. Nelson as Kelly Stone, Sarah Jessica Parker as Meredith Morton and Luke Wilson as Ben Stone. Tyrone Giordano is also returning as Thad Stone, Elizabeth Reaser as Susannah Stone, Paul Schneider as Brad Stevenson and Brian White as Patrick Thomas.

The major absence is Diane Keaton, who died in October 2025 at the age of 79. Her character Sybil was already revealed to be terminally ill in the original film, with The Families Stone picking up two decades after her death and bringing the family back together without its matriarch.

Is the Original Director Returning?

Yes. Thomas Bezucha, who wrote and directed The Family Stone, will return to do both again for The Families Stone. Original producer Michael London is also back, producing alongside Shannon Gaulding for Groundswell Productions, while Sarah Jessica Parker and Alison Benson will produce through Pretty Matches Productions. Bezucha had previously revealed that he was working on the sequel, with Luke Wilson later saying he had read the script and praising the way the new film honours Keaton.

When Is The Families Stone Released?

Searchlight Pictures has not announced a release date for The Families Stone yet. With production set to take place in New York this autumn, the sequel is now moving forward, but we will have to wait a little longer for confirmation of when the Stone family will officially be back on our screens.

What Happened in The Family Stone?

Released in 2005, The Family Stone followed Everett Stone as he brought his girlfriend Meredith home for Christmas to meet his family, only for the visit to quickly unravel. Meredith calls her sister Julie for support, relationships begin shifting and the family also faces the news of Sybil’s illness.

The film earned more than $92 million worldwide and has become a regular Christmas rewatch for many viewers in the years since its release. Sarah Jessica Parker was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance as Meredith.

For CultureCues, The Family Stone is already firmly on our Christmas watchlist every year, so getting almost the entire original cast back together is such lovely news. It will be emotional returning to the family without Diane Keaton and Sybil, but having the sequel acknowledge that loss rather than move past it feels right. We are especially happy to see Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel McAdams, Claire Danes, Dermot Mulroney and Luke Wilson all coming back, and another Stone family Christmas sounds like a very easy addition to our festive viewing.

The Families Stone is officially in development at Searchlight Pictures

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