Ben Stiller has mostly been focusing on his work behind the camera in recent years, but he’s finally gearing up for an epic comeback. He landed a lead role in David Gordon Green’s upcoming comedy film Nutcrackers, which marks his first major role since 2017.
Stiller will play a work-obsessed Mike, who must embark on a short trip to rural Ohio after his four rambunctious nephews lost their parents in a car accident. His three-day trip transforms into weeks of farm-life mayhem, making him realize he found a new home for himself, instead of looking for foster care for his nephews.
Stiller will also executive produce this project alongside Red Hour Film’s partner John Lesher, Rivulet’s Rob Paris and Mike Witherill, and Rough House’s Nate Meyer. Leland Douglas (Call of the Wild) wrote the script, with David Gordon Green (the Halloween franchise) coming on board to direct.
Nutcrackers will mark Stiller’s first major starring role since 2017, when he appeared in Mike White’s Brad’s Status and Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories. He’s mostly been focusing on his work behind the camera after that, most notably as director and executive producer of the Apple TV+’s Severance, which has been nominated for 14 Emmys during its first season.
