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Jean Smart has joined the cast of Searchlight Pictures’ “The Families Stone,” the sequel to the 2005 Christmas comedy “The Family Stone.”
Smart joins previously announced cast members Rachel McAdams (Amy Stone), Sarah
Jessica Parker (Meredith Morton), Claire Danes (Julie Morton), Dermot Mulroney (Everett Stone), Craig T. Nelson (Kelly Stone), Luke Wilson (Ben Stone), Tyrone Giordano (Thad Stone), Elizabeth Reaser (Susannah Stone), Paul Schneider (Brad Stevenson) and Brian White (Patrick Thomas).
Searchlight’s official logline for “The Families Stone” 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 (Smart) to meet the family.” The sequel is set to begin filming in New York in the fall.
Smart is best known for leading the cast of HBO’s “Hacks.” She recently took home the Emmy for her portrayal of Deborah Vance in the fifth and final season of the comedy series, becoming the first female performer to win an Emmy for every season of a show. On the film side, Smart will soon appear in the rom-com “Egg Baby” from director Natalia Anderson.
2005’s “The Family Stone” follows Parker as traditional businesswoman Meredith Morton, who goes home with her boyfriend Everett Stone, played by Mulroney, to visit his eccentric extended family during their Christmas celebration. “The Family Stone” refers, of course, to Everett’s family, but also to an heirloom wedding ring Meredith must prove she’s worthy of by winning over Everett’s mother.
“The Families Stone” was first revealed by writer-director Tom Bezucha in 2025. The announcement came shortly after the death of Diane Keaton, who played the Stone family matriarch Sybil in the first movie.
“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 at the time. “Mentally, I’ve been spending time in that house where I’ve been missing her for a while already.”
Smart is repped by WME and Untitled Entertainment.
