As the first trailer for Focker In-Law dropped on Wednesday, April 15, fans of Ariana Grande were quick to dissect every frame, only to spot an awkward misstep that has sparked online backlash.
The trailer has drawn intense criticism on multiple fronts, from Grande’s appearance and voice, which some compared to her iconic Glinda character, to a noticeable error that viewers were quick to call out.
Highlights
- Ariana Grande’s casting in ‘Focker In-Law’ has sparked intense debate online, with fans divided over whether she fits into the iconic comedy franchise.
- The trailer has drawn intense criticism for noticeable production hiccups, including a viral editing blunder in a key scene.
- Some viewers have even slammed the sequel as “lazy reboot culture,” reigniting backlash against Hollywood remakes.
“Why does everything look so cheap and fake now? Cinematography standards have nosedived,” one disappointed user remarked.
Ariana Grande’s first look in Focker In-Law sparked intense criticism as fans noticed several hiccups in the trailer
Image credits: UniversalPictures
The upcoming movie is the fourth installment in the Meet the Parents franchise and is scheduled for a wide theatrical release on November 25, 2026.
Set over 15 years after Little Fockers, the story follows Ben Stiller’s character, who now finds himself in the shoes of his father-in-law, played by Robert De Niro.
The central conflict begins when Stiller’s son, played by Skyler Gisondo, becomes engaged to Olivia Jones, Ariana Grande’s character, a strong-willed former FBI hostage negotiator.
Image credits: UniversalPictures
The film is written and directed by John Hamburg, who co-wrote the original three films.
The first trailer dropped yesterday, and, in a nod to the original film, it opens with Ariana strapped to De Niro’s polygraph machine.
She expertly handles his questioning, leading Robert’s character to immediately welcome her into the “circle of trust,” much to the dismay of Stiller, who remains wary of her intentions.
Image credits: UniversalPictures
As the nearly three-minute trailer progresses, Stiller and Grande share an intense exchange in which she explicitly states she plans to use her skills in “strategic emotional puppetry” to “free” her fiancé from Greg’s codependent influence.
The trailer then showcases a montage of Stiller’s character attempting to undermine Grande, including being attacked by a German Shepherd, participating in a competitive bike race in which the family wears matching pink shirts, and obsessively tracking Ariana’s entourage using his own surveillance tech.
Many drew comparisons between Ariana’s latest look and her iconic Glinda character, while others harshly questioned her casting
Image credits: UniversalPictures
The first criticism to hit the trailer centered on the bike race sequence, where Ben’s character causes Grande’s character to fall off her bike.
On closer inspection by online viewers, the scene revealed a noticeable editing blunder: the person falling off the bike was not Grande, but clearly her stunt double.
Highlighting the mistake, one netizen wrote, “Not a good look when you can see the stunt double in a trailer for a comedy movie.”
Image credits: UniversalPictures
Another added, “The way the double stunt look nothing like her,” while a third commented, “The double is taking me out.”
Some viewers also criticized Grande’s casting opposite stars like De Niro and Stiller.
One critic wrote, “Ariana grande joining de niro and stiller for focker in law sequel is desperate franchise hollywood recycling 20 year old jokes with pop star stunt casting for easy nostalgia cash grab.”
Another comment read, “De Niro spent 50 years building one of cinema's greatest legacies to end up in an Ariana Grande vehicle.”
“Ariana Grande is miscast but she's gonna bring in the numbers bro,” remarked a third.
“Universal set the record for the laziest sequel title in history. They took a twenty year old joke and forced a pop star into it for TikTok streams. Watching Robert De Niro actively regret every single life choice on set is the only funny part.”
One displeased comment read, “The forehead smoothness of both Grande and Stiller… DeNiro might be the only human in the room”
Image credits: UniversalPictures
Some fans pointed out that in several scenes, Ariana appeared as if she “wasn’t even in the same room” as the other actors, fueling speculation about heavy green-screen use or separate filming.
“Was it really that hard to put them in a real room? Why are they clearly just sat in front of a green screen?” questioned one user, while another added, “Oh her one word in the teaser ‘Yes’ while looking like she wasn't even in the same room as De Niro or Stiller…”
While some viewers also criticized Ariana’s physical appearance, others compared her look and even her voice to her Wicked franchise character.
Image credits: UniversalPictures
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In the trailer, Grande uses a lower, raspier tone for Olivia, creating a sharp contrast to her higher-pitched, operatic Glinda voice.
One comment read, “Genuinely gasped hearing her speak without the Glinda voice for the first time in 3 years.”
Another person said, “Between her old accent and her glinda voice i realized i don’t know what her actual voice sounds like.”
“I wonder when she audition they told her to stop that voice lmaoo,” joked a third.
Image credits: UniversalPictures
“No I 100% gasped, last time I heard that kinda voice was her impersonation of Liz Gillies.”
Others commented, “What's wrong with her jaw seriously?!! She still looks like a caricature of glinda in this movie i cant take her seriously.”
“Her face look so artificial now… she just looks so out of place, like seeing an influencer in real life,” another user wrote.
Ariana revealed that her role as Olivia Jones is even more demanding than her years-long preparation for the Wicked franchise
Image credits: UniversalPictures
“I hate to say it, but it’s all the work. Her face doesn’t read remotely ‘normal,’ she’s not believable in any role other than herself. She can’t emote beyond opening her eyes a bit bigger or squinting them. It’s honestly so depressing.”
After filming Wicked and its sequel over nearly two years, Grande has admitted in the past that she struggled with “switching off” Glinda’s formal speaking style.
While some viewers have criticized her casting, Grande herself has been vocal about her excitement to join the Meet the Parents franchise.
During an appearance on the Today Show in November last year, she said, “I have grown up adoring Ben. Every single person in the cast I have grown up worshipping, so to be able to work with them and share a creative space with them was a dream come true.”
She also shared that preparation for the role was physically demanding, even more so than Wicked, as she had to perform burpees and high knees alongside Robert.
In an interview with Amy Poehler on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, the singer said, “I don't know if I'm allowed to say this, but I have to say it because you're gonna laugh your a** off — my character's a triathlete.”
“I'm like, what is this movie? What are we doing? But I'm having a blast. It's like it's really special. [Olivia] is a lot of things. But a triathlete is one of them. There's also a lot of biking in this movie.”
She further joked, “I feel like I'm on the set of the Avengers. Between him and Bob, Mr. De Niro…”
“Hollywood please come up with something original. Tired of lazy reboots and nostalgia flicks,” one critic wrote
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