Thomas Bezucha, writer and director of the 2005 holiday film 'The Family Stone,' is developing a sequel following the recent death of star Diane Keaton. Keaton, who played family matriarch Sybil Stone, passed away in October 2025 at age 79. Bezucha has shared that he was already working on the project, inspired by the character's storyline, and aims to honor Keaton's legacy.
Background on 'The Family Stone'
The original 'The Family Stone,' released in 2005, is a holiday dramedy that follows the Stone family gathering for Christmas in New England. Matriarch Sybil Stone (Diane Keaton) and patriarch Kelly (Craig T. Nelson) host their adult children, including Everett (Dermot Mulroney), Ben (Luke Wilson), Amy (Claire Danes), Susannah (Elizabeth Reaser), and others, amid family tensions. The plot centers on Everett bringing his girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home, complicated by Sybil's terminal illness, which leads to her death by the film's end. The ensemble cast also features Rachel McAdams, and the movie became a box office hit and holiday favorite.
Development of the Sequel
Thomas Bezucha revealed in a CNN interview that he has been penning the sequel for months, even before Keaton's death on October 11, 2025, from pneumonia. '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.'
Following Keaton's passing, Bezucha expressed a desire to 'honor her even more' and 'do a good job by the rest of the cast.' He has reached out to the original cast members, receiving positive responses, though no one has officially signed on. The project has not yet been greenlit by Disney, which owns the rights through its acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Bezucha emphasized his commitment to reuniting the original ensemble, stating, 'I’m not interested in the Brady family reunion without the original Jan.'
While details on the sequel's plot remain under wraps, it appears poised to revisit the Stone family dynamics in the wake of Sybil's onscreen and real-life absence.