The Family Stone 2 Is Being Made To "Honor" Diane Keaton

Your favorite dysfunctional family is getting ready to spend another holiday season together — and it’s going to be even more emotional this time around. Thomas Bezucha, the writer and director of 2005’s The Family Stone has revealed that he’s currently working on a sequel, having been inspired to “honor” Diane Keaton after learning of her death earlier this year.

Bezucha confirmed the new movie to CNN on Nov. 19, revealing that he had already been fleshing out a sequel idea when the news broke of Keaton’s untimely death on Oct. 11. Keaton starred in the original movie as matriarch Sybil Stone, whose emotional death at the end of the film brings her maladjusted family together again. The shock of life imitating art galvanized Bezucha to double down his efforts to make this follow-up.

“I’ve been haunted by the loss of Sybil for months now while I worked on it, and so this was a blow on a tender bruise already,” Bezucha said. “Mentally, I’ve been spending time in that house where I’ve been missing her for a while already.”

He’s hoping this new movie two decades later will “honor [Keaton] even more,” and he’s motivated to “do a good job by the rest of the cast.”

Bezucha emphasized that he’s only interested in making this movie if all of the core Family Stone cast members are open to it. Reportedly, he’s begun the process of reaching out and has received “unanimously positive responses,” although nobody is officially signed on yet.

The Family Stone’s ensemble cast is notable for being full of A-list actors. Along with Keaton, the holiday classic also starred Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel McAdams, Claire Danes, Dermot Mulroney, Luke Wilson, and Craig T. Nelson, among others.

It sounds like the project is still in very early stages, as it has not yet been greenlit by a studio (the original movie was produced by 20th Century Fox, which is now owned by Disney). But, it’s nice to know there may be a much-needed family reunion in the future.