Is the mini-sequel Father Of The Bride 3 canon and will a real movie ever happen? It may have been over 30 years since Father Of The Bride was released, but the Nancy Meyers-penned movie remains one of the most beloved comedies of the '90s. It’s a heartwarming tale that stars comic legend Steve Martin as George Banks – a successful businessman who lives in suburban SoCal with his wife Nina (Diane Keaton) and their youngest kid Matty (Kieran Culkin), as George struggles to come to terms with the fact his 22-year-old daughter Annie (Kimberly Williams) is marrying a man she’s only known for a few months.
A sequel, Father Of The Bride Part II, followed in 1995. Set four years after Annie’s wedding, the sequel found George facing more big changes as he prepared to become both a grandfather and also a father for the third time as Annie and Nina reveal they’re expecting at the same time. Although the sequel wasn’t quite as successful as the original Father Of The Bride movie was, it was a big enough hit to convince writer/producer Nancy Meyers and director Charles Shyer to make a third film.
Unfortunately, the project was stuck in development hell for many years but a sequel of sorts – officially titled Father Of The Bride Part 3 (ish) – finally happened in 2020. Here’s the film explained.
Father Of The Bride 3: Who Is In The Cast?
Father Of The Bride 3 sees the Banks family reunite during the pandemic via Zoom at the request of a now-adult Matty who has some big news to share. Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kieran Culkin and Kimberly Williams all reprise their original Father Of The Bride roles, as do George Newbern (as Annie’s husband Bryan MacKenzie) and comic actor Martin Short (as eccentric party planner Franck Eggelhoffer).
New cast additions include Florence Pugh as Megan Banks (George and Nina’s now grown-up third child) and Ben Platt as Annie and Bryan’s son George Banks-MacKenzie. They’re joined by Alexandra Shipp who plays Matty’s girlfriend Rachel and none other than Robert De Niro as her dad James.
Is Father Of The Bride 3 Canon?
Father Of The Bride 3 isn’t a typical follow-up. Part-mini sequel and part-cast reunion, the film is only 25 minutes long and probably not what Father Of The Bride fans were expecting from a third entry. That said, the sequel is considered a canonical entry in the Father Of The Bride franchise and – despite its unconventional nature – was a charming update on what happened to the Banks family in the 25 years that have passed since Father Of The Bride Part II.
Will A Feature-Length Father Of The Bride 3 Happen?
Unfortunately, there aren’t plans to make a feature-length Father Of The Bride 3 but that doesn’t mean the franchise is over. In 2020, Warner Bros announced it was producing a Father Of The Bride remake with a Latinx focus and a script penned by Promised Land creator Matt Lopez. Since then, the remake has found a director in Club De Cuervos helmer Gaz Alazraki and added several cast members including Isabela Merced, Godfather 3's Andy Garcia and singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan. Filming for the Father Of The Bride remake began last summer and the film is expected to release on HBO Max sometime in 2022.