The first My Big Fat Greek Wedding, released in 2002, was directed by John Zwick, and the second one by Kirk Jones. Fans are excited to see Nia Vardalos take the reins in her story and show off her visual style. The movie comes to us from the mighty production power of companies Playtone, Golden Circle, and HBO.
The original My Big Fat Greek Wedding followed the journey of Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), a shy woman surrounded by boisterous personalities. Freshly turned 30, she works for her Greek immigrant parents in the family's restaurant, has always done so, and has little hope of achieving any of her other dreams. To overcome her parents and her culture's expectations, Toula courageously enrolls in college to learn computer technology. This leads to her landing a new job and more independence. For the first time in her family's history, she also begins dating a kind, non-Greek white man named Ian (played by John Corbett). Her big personal leaps lead to a whole new, happier her, true love, and of course, the titular big fat Greek wedding.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding continues to be the highest-grossing romantic comedy ever to grace theaters and is an absolute delight to watch even to this day. The second film from 2016 was also funny, heartfelt, and a natural follow-up to Toula and Ian's stories. In the movie, they are the parents of a teenage daughter trying to grapple with her own big fat Greek legacy. It was also the last time we got to see Michael Constantine in the role of Costas "Gus" Portokalos, Toula's loving but overbearing, overprotective, and steadfastly orthodox Greek father before he passed away in 2021. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is now set for release in September 2023 and will continue the story that started twenty-one years ago.
Here is everything we know about the franchise's third installment and why we can't wait to see more of this big fat Greek story.
Update September 5, 2023: This article has been updated with additional information in anticipation for the upcoming release of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: The Plot
The main plot of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 will see the family travel to Greece for a family reunion. What seems to be the foundation of the upcoming movie is the death of Toula's father and a reunion in his Greek hometown, which he asked his daughter to attend. Toula makes it her priority to fulfill her father's wish and, as requested by her father, finds his beloved friends in order to hand over a journal, which tells the story of his life. Experiencing life in the small village, Toula and her family want to retrace her father's steps, creating a closer connection to him and understanding his upbringing.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is sure to be uproarious, with much of the same family comedy and joy that made the first and second movies stand out. The films have always had beautiful and ahead-of-their-time messages for audiences about cultural acceptance, heritage, and tradition, as well as women's rights.
As for this third movie, it takes an even closer look at topics that everyone out there can relate to. The film will tackle the issue of grief, how it affects those who are left behind, and how having to say goodbye after such a tragedy can be approached. Most importantly, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 taps into the characters' past as well as their future and, above anything else, conveys the stance of living in gratitude for the present. Overall, the movie teaches the importance of living with joy, using the time we have, and spending it with loved ones.
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My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: The Cast
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 will star Nia Vardalos as Toula, John Corbett as Ian, and Elena Kampouris as their daughter Paris. Presumably, many of the actors portraying the Portokalos family members will also return, such as the iconic Lanie Kazan as Maria Portokalos, Toula's matriarch mother, Joey Fatone as cousin Angelo, Louis Mandylor as Toula's brother Nick, Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula, Gia Carides as cousin Nikki, and possibly Alex Wolff as Bennet, Paris' crush and eventual boyfriend from the sequel movie.
Fans are sad that Michael Constantine will not be there to celebrate the third movie's long journey back home with us, but the cast, as well as crew members, ensure that his legacy will continue. While Constantine's loss will be deeply felt during the movie, there are three new actors who are said to join the My Big Fat Greek Wedding family.
Elias Kacavas, who is mostly known for his portrayal of Greg in the TV series Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, will step into the role of Aristotle and most likely cause some drama. Aristotle might stir up some confusing feelings within Paris, which certainly has the potential to affect her relationship with Bennet. Furthermore, Melina Kotselou can be seen as Victory, who is the mayor of the village where the family reunion takes place. It will be Kotselou's first time starring in a feature film, having only gained experience in short films before. Lastly, the actress from the TV miniseries 1883, Stephanie Nur, embodies the role of Qamar.
Why We Are Excited to See My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
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Nia Vardalos is a talented filmmaker and actress who is highly dedicated to her craft. Therefore, it is no surprise that she was set on filming the entire movie in Greece in order to ensure authenticity and really capture the mood she was going for. In addition to the My Big Fat Greek Wedding movies, she also made a 2009 film titled I Hate Valentine's Day, which again co-starred John Corbett alongside her, as well as the then-unknowns Zoey Kazan and Ben Schwartz (Parks and Rec, Sonic the Hedgehog). The movie is about a florist named Genevieve, who has such an intimacy problem that she has a rigid rule where she will not court anyone for more than five dates. Unexpectedly, she meets Greg (Corbett), an easy-going restaurateur. When they quickly fall in love, Genevieve must decide whether to break her firm rule or continue on life's journey alone.
It is a fun, quirky, often hilarious Valentine's Day movie, or just a rom-com movie, period. Vardalos' style is both funny and sensitive and shows off her directing chops to great effect. Her talent transcends, and clearly, Nia Vardalos has a lot to offer audiences.
The other reason is just the amount of time since the previous films. It has been over twenty-one years since My Big Fat Greek Wedding hit theaters, and while the film industry has changed drastically, the movie is still a beloved classic to many, and it is nostalgic to look back at how far the characters have come since the first movie. It now makes My Big Fat Greek Wedding the rare comedy trilogy, and one that is a pretty consistent one in terms of quality that now makes it a good day binge for fans.
Release Date
We can't wait to see Nia Vardalos take up the mantle of both star and director of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3! The movie will hit the big screens very soon, its highly anticipated release date being September 8, 2023. The movie will open the same day as The Nun II, as a nice bit of counter-programming for audiences. But even before that, the production company Focus Features gained attention by offering once-in-a-lifttime opportunities to tie the knot. Unique promotions or not, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 certainly has all eyes on it, and until its release, we say, Opa!