The Family Stone 2 Officially Casts First New Lead

Published Sep 23, 2026, 12:23 PM EDT Matthew Thomas is a celebrity entertainment and trending news journalist. Passionate about the media. He developed a love for storytelling that he loves to share with others through his writing. Matthew has been able to cover a variety of subjects he is very passionate about, including movies, TV shows, comics, and wrestling. Experience:Matthew brings more than a decade of experience writing about pop culture, movies, TV shows, wrestling, comic books, true crime, weather conditions, safety tips, taxes, wildlife, archaeology, music, and trending news. He is also an experienced interviewer with a strong track record of speaking with high-profile talent and subject-matter experts. He has conducted interviews with major actors, including Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Jason Sudeikis, Jon Hamm, Alan Ritchson, Rob McElhenney, Danny Trejo, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Joshua Jackson, Damon Wayans, John C. McGinley, and Julia Jones. He has also interviewed several prominent TV personalities, including Howie Mandel, Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster, Happy’s Place star Rex Linn, the cast of Stuart Saves the Universe, and acclaimed series creators Bill Lawrence and Chuck Lorre. As a versatile entertainment journalist, he has also interviewed notable musicians such as Travis Barker and Nick Jonas, as well as sports icons like Olympic gold medalist wrestler Kurt Angle and NBA champion Jayson Tatum. Additionally, Matthew has interviewed reality show contestants from hit series like Survivor, Big Brother, and The Traitors. To round out his extensive portfolio, he has interviewed subject-matter experts on taxes, public safety, and winter weather conditions. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The long-awaited sequel to The Family Stone has gotten its first new star, and it's a legend. Originally released on December 16, 2005, The Family Stone became a surprise hit that grossed more than $93.8 million worldwide off an estimated $18 million budget. Since then, the film's legacy has only seemed to expand as it has become a holiday classic that ranked among the most underrated Christmas movies. Since the news that a sequel was in development broke, fans of the original have been waiting to learn who could be joining the already star-studded cast. Now, they've gotten their first major update. Variety has reported that Jean Smart is joining the cast of The Families Stone, the sequel to the 2005 Christmas romantic comedy. She will be joining the previously announced stars who will be returning to their roles from the first film: Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Luke Wilson, Tyrone Giordano, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Schneider, and Brian White. The new report on The Families Stone confirms that Smart will be playing a pivotal role in the upcoming movie. It notes that she will be portraying the woman that the family patriarch has fallen in love with. Check out the film's official logline below: "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." More to come... Release Date December 16, 2005 Runtime 104 Minutes Director Thomas Bezucha