Searchlight Pictures confirmed Sept. 23 that Jean Smart has joined The Families Stone, a sequel to the 2005 holiday dramedy. Much of the original cast is returning for the story, set 20 years later; Smart’s character has not been disclosed.
On Sept. 14, Smart won her fifth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks. She became the first performer to win the award for every season of her show.
The sequel brings the Stone family together at Christmas, when their father, played by Craig T. Nelson, invites his new love to meet them, according to a synopsis reported by Deadline. Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker and other original cast members are returning. Diane Keaton, who played matriarch Sybil, will not appear; she died in October 2025. Production is set to take place in New York this fall, according to Deadline. No release date has been announced.
