The Family Stone 2: Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more stars return

"The Family Stone 2" is officially a done deal. Fans of the original 2005 tragicomedy will be particularly pleased to hear that several stars from the first film are returning for the sequel, including Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Claire Danes. Thomas Bezucha, who directed the first film, is also set to direct and write the screenplay for the sequel titled "The Families Stone", as reported by Variety.

In addition to McAdams, Parker, and Danes, we'll also see Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Luke Wilson, Tyrone Giordano, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Schneider, and Brian White reprise their roles in the sequel. But it's not just the cast – the first details about the plot have also been revealed – and once again, the story will revolve around a Christmas celebration with the family. The first film told the story of how Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker) was supposed to meet the family of her fiancé, Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney), during the Christmas holidays. But Meredith had anything but an easy time winning over the Stones. The second installment once again centers on a family reunion that's sure to cause some turmoil. According to Variety, the plot is described as follows:

"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."

The Family Stone was a hit at the box office

The original 2005 film received mixed reviews but proved to be a commercial success. With a budget of $18 million, it grossed $92 million at the global box office. In November 2025, it was first reported that director Thomas Bezucha was working on a sequel. Shortly before that, Diane Keaton, who had played the role of Sybil Stone in the first film, had passed away at the age of 79 – a circumstance that reportedly gave Bezucha a hard time while working on the sequel.

Keaton was part of a star-studded ensemble that undoubtedly played a major role in the success of "The Family Stone." The film's female stars are particularly notable. Alongside Keaton, who shone in numerous films throughout her decades-long career – including Francis Ford Coppola's legendary "Godfather" trilogy – Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Claire Danes stand out from the cast of "The Family Stone."

Top-notch actresses

Rachel McAdams first gained attention with films like "Mean Girls" and "The Notebook." She later went on to star in blockbusters such as Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, as well as the Marvel hit "Doctor Strange" alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Most recently, she appeared on the big screen in the survival horror film "Send Help," directed by Sam Raimi.

Sarah Jessica Parker has also appeared in numerous films, most recently in the fantasy comedy "Hocus Pocus 2." However, most people probably associate her primarily with her role as Carrie Bradshaw in "Sex and the City." The six-season series became an international hit, spawning two films and, in 2021, the sequel series "And Just Like That..." The latter, however, didn't fare particularly well with critics and was canceled after three seasons.

Claire Danes also left a lasting impression on the TV landscape. Although "My So-Called Life" only lasted one season, the 1994 series remains hugely popular to this day and is considered a coming-of-age classic. She subsequently made her mark on the big screen as well, garnering attention for her role in the Shakespeare adaptation "Romeo + Juliet" alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, among other projects. In 2011, she made a spectacular TV comeback with "Homeland." In the role of the complex protagonist Carrie Mathison, she was able to once again demonstrate her acting prowess on screen in the eight-season thriller series.