Ariana Grande is reportedly set to take part in the upcoming promotional trail for her new movie, Focker-in-Law, despite announcing her career hiatus just last month.
As a new and hilarious trailer for the fourth film in the Meet the Parents franchise dropped on Friday, it was revealed that the singer will still promote the movie alongside co-stars Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro ahead of its release in Australian cinemas on November 26.
A source told People magazine that Grande remains fully “committed” as “she is very proud” of the film, which comes 16 years after the third movie in the franchise, Little Fockers.
In Focker-in-Law, Grande plays new character Olivia Jones, a life coach and former FBI hostage negotiator and triathlete who gets engaged to Greg Focker’s (Stiller) grown son, Henry (Skyler Gisondo).
While his father-in-law Jack Byrnes (De Niro) surprisingly takes a liking to Olivia and welcomes her into his “circle of trust”, Greg is convinced Olivia and Henry are a complete mismatch.
The tables have turned in this new chapter in the blockbuster, with Greg now taking drastic measures to vet his potential new daughter-in-law.
Teri Polo, Owen Wilson and Blythe Danner also return in the new film, which will be released 26 years after the very first movie.
Stiller says that Grande – who stars in her first movie since her breakout role as Glinda in the Wicked films – helped breathe new life into the franchise.
“It was great to have her energy coming into this franchise that has been around a long time, and we hadn’t done for a very long time,” Stiller told Entertainment Weekly in January as he praised his co-star.
“She’s incredibly professional … she knows comedy, and she was just a joy to work with. I had a blast working with her, and I think what she brought to the movie is just a very, very new sensibility that also felt very much like it worked within the tone of the movie.”
After a busy year promoting the second Wicked film Wicked: For Good, releasing her eighth studio album Petal, and embarking on her Eternal Sunshine Tour in the US and UK, Grande announced she was “taking a step back from visibility” when her tour concluded in London on September 1.
“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” he rep said in a statement to People on August 2.
“This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
Indeed, at its conclusion this week Grande got emotional on stage in front of her London fans.
“This has been one of the most beautiful extraordinary experiences of my life and I just wanted to express my gratitude without sobbing completely,” she tearfully told the crowd after a 10-night residency at The O2 Arena in London.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been so special. I’ll cherish this experience always. I have the best fans in the entire world.”
Focker-in-Law is in cinemas November 26