No party poopers here! It’s been nearly three decades since fans met the Banks family in Father of the Bride and watched Annie Banks (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) go from college grad to beaming bride.
The rom-com from Nancy Meyers hit theaters in 1991, showing what it’s really like for a dad to let go of his little girl on her wedding day — or in George Banks’ (Steve Martin) case, lose his mind while grappling with the nuptials.
The memorable film, which also starred Diane Keaton as Annie’s mom, Nina Banks, Kieran Culkin as little brother Matty Banks and George Newbern as the groom, Bryan MacKenzie, led to the 1995 sequel, Father of the Bride Part II.
The original, however, wouldn’t have been complete without the over-the-top wedding planner, Frank Eggelhoffer (Martin Short) and his assistant Howard Weinstein (BD Wong). The two pushed for swans, replanting the family’s yard and moving all the furniture out, all of which sent George through the roof.
Twelve years after the film’s sequel brought to life the story of Annie and Nina being pregnant at the same time, some of the cast reunited in person, and fans couldn’t get enough of it.
“Loved seeing my former costars @stevemartintogo & @themartinshort at the Opryhouse tonight for their show in #Nashville,” Williams-Paisley wrote via Instagram in March 2017 alongside a photo of herself with her movie dad and go-to planner.
Seven months later, Newbern teased the possibility of a third film from the cast, telling Us Weekly exclusively in November 2017, “I know there’s a script out there and there’s talk.”
At the time, the actor also revealed what he thought his character would be up to following his life as an independent communications consultant.
“I think Bryan MacKenzie would probably be a grandfather now. They had a kid, so he’s probably got a grandkid at this point, I think. Or at least close to it,” he told Us. “Or his daughter would be getting married. He’s probably invested in a startup in the Silicon Valley because they are on the West Coast. And they probably live up in the Bay area. They got four kids. They need to shoot a third one. We need to do a third one. That would be great.”
Three years later, Newbern’s third film theory was SORT OF confirmed when Netflix announced in September 2020 that the cast was reuniting for a reunion movie titled Father of the Bride Part 3 (Ish).
“Finally! So happy to tell you I’ve made a new movie— FATHER OF THE BRIDE PART 3 (ish),” creator Meyers wrote via Instagram in September alongside a trailer for the movie. “Ish is because it’s not as long as a movie but I think you’re going to like it!”
The original actors joined together on the project to tell the next part of the Banks’ story and also help raise money for World Central Kitchen.
Scroll down to see what the cast has been doing since they planned Annie’s massive wedding in the ‘90s.
