It has been 21 years since Nia Vardalos and the My Big Fat Greek Wedding cast gave the world one of the best romantic comedies of all time, one that beat the odds and became a massive success. The unforgettable rom-com that follows 30-year-old Greek-American Toula Portokalos as she tries to get her family to accept her non-Greek love interest has become a beloved classic over the years, and even spawned a sequel: 2016’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.
Later in 2023, Vardalos will take audiences on a new adventure with My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, a movie that will see the whole Portokalos family take a massive trip to their native Greece. There is still some time before threequel comes to your local theater, but there’s quite a bit we know about the movie at this point in time.
What Is The My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 Release Date?
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is set to open in theaters on September 8th, which will honestly be here before you know it. By the time the movie comes out this fall, it will be a little more than seven years since fans last saw Toula Portokalos-Miller and her extensive family. However, this isn’t nearly as long as the span between the first two films in the franchise, which was around 14 years (13 if you count the short-lived sitcom continuation, My Big Fat Greek Life).
There is no word on when the sequel will make its streaming debut, but the movie will most likely be available for anyone with a Peacock Premium subscription at some point in the future, considering distributor Focus Features is under the same corporate umbrella as the platform.
Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, And Other Returning Actors Make Up The My Big Fat Greek Wedding Cast
When the third film opens in theaters later on in 2023, it will be bringing with it much of the cast that made the first two movies so much fun. When announcing the release date earlier in the year, Focus Features announced that Nia Vardalos and John Corbett would be back to lead the cast as Fotoula “Toula” Portokalos-Miller and Ian Miller, respectively. On top of that, Elena Kampouris, who played their daughter, Paris Miller, in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, will be reprising her role, as will other actors from the first two movies.
This means you can expect to see Louis Mandylor, Maria Vacratsis, Andrea Martin, Elias Kacavas, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, and Melina Kotselou all back in action after all these years. However, the movie will be without one of its biggest stars, as Michael Constantine, who played Toula’s protective father in the first two installments, passed away in September 2021.
The Movie Follows The Portokalos Family As They Return To Greece For A Family Reunion
The first movie followed Toula as she prepared for her wedding, the second installment centered on the Greek-American woman as she tried to come to terms with her daughter going to college, and now the upcoming movie will stick with her as she travels to Greece for a family reunion following the death of her father. During an appearance on The Talk in November 2022, Nia Vardalos filled the hosts in on a little secret when she revealed that the Portokalos family was going back to Greece.
During a presentation for My Big Fat Greek Wedding at CinemaCon 2023 (via Variety), it was revealed Costas "Gus" Portokalos’ last wish prior to his death was for the family to visit his childhood village to reconnect with the family’s roots.
The My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 Trailer Teases A Hilarious Greek Adventure
In May 2023, Focus Features gave the world its first official look at My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 with the release of the debut trailer. The fun, vibrant, and lively trailer, which shows the Portokalos family as they travel to Greece, has all the charm and characters we’ve come to know and love over the past 20-plus years, but in a whole new environment:
With lovely tributes to characters (and actors) no longer with us, a whole lot of day-drinking, and Toula’s customary narration, the trailer feels very much in step with the movies that came before it, while also offering hints at new faces, romance, and all kinds of surprises.
Michael Constantine Told Nia Vardalos To Pursue The Project Prior To His 2021 Death
Though Michael Constantine passed away before his character could show the world even more uses for Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, the late actor played a role in helping Nia Vardalos when she was planning the movie a few years ago. Shortly after Constantine’s passing in September 2021, Vardalos paid tribute to him in an Instagram post that also shared how her on-screen dad told her to pursue the project, though he wouldn’t be able to reprise his role:
He had told me he wouldn’t be able to join us for the third film and his wish was that we go on. I wrote the screenplay to reflect Michael’s decision and will always treasure his last messages to me, hoping we were filming soon. … We miss you Michael, thank you for bringing my words to life with such passion and accuracy, you will always be with us.
Judging by what we’ve heard about this movie, Vardalos was able to make the late actor’s presence be felt in a meaningful way.
Nia Vardalos Helmed My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, Her Second Directorial Effort
Vardalos became an overnight sensation upon the release of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and not just for her iconic portrayal of Toula Portokalos. In addition to starring in the surprise hit rom-com, she also wrote the movie, and even received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The talent would go on to write 2016’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, which was directed by Kirk Jones in place of Joel Zwick. But, this time around, she not only wrote and starred in the movie, she also directed it.
In a June 2022 Instagram video, Vardalos revealed that not only was the movie in production in Greece, she was also sitting in the director’s chair for the first time in the franchise. This is her second directorial effort, with the first being the 2009 romantic comedy I Hate Valentine’s Day, where she also co-starred with John Corbett.
The Greece-Based Shoot Wrapped In August 2022
Production on My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 wrapped in August 2022, a couple of months after cameras started rolling on the Greece-based shoot. As is the case for a lot of news surrounding the movie, this tidbit of information was revealed by Vardalos in an Instagram post in which the writer/director/actress said she was “overwhelmed with emotions.”
In subsequent months, she shared images from throughout the post-production process showing that a movie that was once not a guarantee was well on its way to cinemas around the world.
Expect to hear more about My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 in the coming weeks and months. As we wait for threequel to drop, now would be a good time to take a look at the 2023 movie schedule for all the other big releases coming our way.
