- Robert De Niro’s daughter, Helen Hightower De Niro's casting has attracted attention because the movie is linked to the Meet the Parents franchise filmmaker.
- John Hamburg previously worked on Meet the Fockers and is also directing the upcoming fourth instalment in the franchise.
- Helen Hightower De Niro was seen on the red carpet at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in France, with her father, Robert De Nir
Robert De Niro's 14-year-old daughter, Helen Hightower De Niro, has landed her debut role. The teenager's casting has attracted attention not only because she is the daughter of one of Hollywood's most respected actors, but also because the movie is linked to the Meet the Parents franchise filmmaker.
According to reports, Helen has been cast in the movie, tentatively titled Lazarus, directed by John Hamburg. The filmmaker previously worked on Meet the Fockers and is also directing the upcoming fourth instalment in the franchise.
As per the contract obtained by TMZ, “Helen's parents, Robert and his ex-wife Grace Hightower, executed on her behalf on August 14, 2025. The paperwork listed the film as being tentatively titled Lazarus, which may be a code name during production.”
“The director of the film is John Hamburg, who produced Meet the Fockers and is directing the upcoming Focker-in-Law movie, which is adding Ariana Grande to the OG cast and is set to be released in November of 2026.
“All signs point to Lazarus actually being Focker-in-Law. Per the contract, Helen's start date was September 26, 2025, and she was paid a daily rate of $1246.”
For those not aware, Robert De Niro plays Jack Byrnes in the Meet the Parents franchise. The character is a former CIA agent and Vietnam War veteran who is extremely protective of his family. He is also the father in law of Greg Focker, the character played by Ben Stiller.
Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower mostly kept Helen away from public attention while she was growing up. But now, it looks like she is becoming more comfortable in the spotlight.
In recent years, she was seen at various public events, including on the red carpet at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in France, with her famous father.
