Ben Stiller is taking on his first leading role since 2017 to join David Gordon Green’s Nutcrackers. The Halloween and Exorcist director helms the film that was written by Call of the Wild scribe Leland Douglas. It is currently in production in Ohio, with no release date set for the comedy-drama.
Nutcrackers follows Ben Stiller as a workaholic named Mike. He must go on a trip to take care of his four nephews in rural Ohio after their parents die in a car accident. He starts with the mindset to get them into foster care, but things change. The journey becomes one of growth as he goes through multiple obstacles that lead to him realizing home is already there for him and his nephews.
Ben Stiller and David Gordon Green Team Up for Nutcrackers
In recent years, the actor has done less acting and more producing or directing. He had a glow-up with his Apple TV hit Severance, for which he served as an executive producer and director for its first season. He has been producing other projects, like Nutcrackers, the Apple comedy-drama High Desert, and the CW mystery series In the Dark. For directing, he has helmed Zoolander 2 and the Showtime drama limited series Escape at Dannemora. His last leading role was in 2017’s Brad’s Status.
The news about his return to lead in a feature film came from Deadline. It will also act as a break from horror for the director as he plans the two sequels to cap his Exorcist trilogy. It is unconfirmed if he will direct 2025’s Exorcist: Deceiver and the final film, but he will still be attached while he takes on other projects.
Ben Stiller is the only confirmed actor attached to Nutcrackers. More info will be released when the film wraps production.
