Thomas Bezucha (Thomas Bezucha), screenwriter and director of the Christmas comedy "The Family Stone" is working intensively on the script of a sequel.
The news comes shortly after the death of the legendary Diane Keaton, who passed away in October at the age of 79.
In the film, she played Sybil Stone, the mother of the family, whose diagnosis with breast cancer upsets the family gathering.
As the director explained to CNN, plans for the sequel existed before the actress' death.
"The loss of Sybil has been haunting me for months while I've been working on this, so [Keaton's death] was a blow to an already sensitive wound," he said, adding, "Noah, I've been spending time in this house, where I've missed her for a long time."
He added that the new film is a way to "honor her even more" and "a job well done to the rest of the cast as well."
The 2005 film follows the Stone family as they prepare for the traditional Christmas gathering at their father's house.
However, the festive atmosphere is disrupted when the eldest son decides to bring his stressed-out girlfriend with him, triggering a series of comic-tragic misunderstandings.
The glamorous cast includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Luke Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Claire Danes and Craig T. Nelson.
According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed over $90 million worldwide on a budget of just $18 million.
At this time, it is not known which of the main characters will return. Bezuka stressed that no actors have signed on or been officially greenlit by Disney, which acquired the film from 20th Century Fox in 2019.
However, he emphatically expressed his interest in returning to direct the film with only the original cast.
