My Big Fat Greek Wedding Star Nia Vardalos CONFIRMS Release Date For New Sequel

My Big Fat Greek Wedding star Nia Vardalos has revealed the official release date for the highly anticipated third installment of the beloved franchise.

Vardalos, who plays the film’s famed leading lady Fotoula ‘Toula’ Portokalos, not only returns as her iconic character, but the 60-year-old wrote and directed the sequel.

He took to Instagram on Friday to confirm that the romantic comedy will hit theaters on September 8.

‘¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ You’re all invited to the big fat family reunion!! Thank you @focusfeatures @universalpictures!! Here we go! #mybigfatgreekwedding3!! The original band is back together,” Vardalos wrote.

He noted that it was produced by Academy Award winner Tom Hanks, his musician wife Rita Wilson, and acclaimed producer Gary Goetzman, with Hollywood heavyweights Steven Shareshian and Scott Niemeyer serving as executive producers.

And producer Paul Brooks, like the last two movies, financed the latest installment.

She teased that the “original cast is back, with some surprise guests too.”

Franchise regulars Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Maria Vacratsis, Andrea Martin, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone and John Corbett, who plays Nia’s on-screen husband, will appear in the third movie

Newcomers Elias Kacavas and Melina Kotselou have also joined the cast.

But sadly one of the main characters will be missed as actor Michael Constantine, who played Toula’s father Costas ‘Gus’ Portokalos, passed away of natural causes in August 2021 at age 94.

Vardalos continued in Friday’s post: ‘I am delighted to have the opportunity to write this third installment of our franchise and also to direct it. See you in the cinema! World. My God’

While the premise of the story has been largely kept under wraps, it was previously reported that the movie involves a family reunion that was filmed entirely in Greece last summer.

Vardalos, who wrote all three of the franchise’s scripts, directed the project, which follows Joel Zwick and Kirk Jones directing the first and second films, respectively.

During the shoot last summer, Vardalos shared updates and photos taken on sets in Greece on his Instagram page.

In a July 2, 2022 post, he revealed that the movie was “shot on the mainland, including Athens, and on various islands that will be merged into one location in the movie.”

Vardalos, who plays the film’s famed leading lady Fotoula ‘Toula’ Portokalos, not only returns as her iconic character, but the 60-year-old wrote and directed the sequel; seen with John Corbett in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Release: She took to Instagram on Friday to confirm that the rom-com will hit theaters on September 8.

Vardalos shared updates and photos on his Instagram page during filming last summer in Greece, including photos with his co-stars past and present.

Lost: But one of the main characters will sadly be missed as actor Michael Constantine, who played Toula’s father Costas ‘Gus’ Portokalos, passed away of natural causes in August 2021 at age 94; seen in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) turned out to be a surprise smash hit at the worldwide box office, grossing $368.7 million at the box office on a budget of only $5 million.

Vardalos played Fotoula ‘Toula’ Portokalos, a young woman who is part of a large, loud and intrusive Greek family who only want her to get married and have children.

Toula surprises many in her family, including her lively father (Constantine), when she begins dating and eventually marries Ian Miller (Corbett), a handsome white Anglo Protestant.

Despite all the success and good reviews, there was a 14-year gap between the first movie and the sequel, which was finally released in March 2016.

Many cast members returned for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016), which ultimately did not have the success of the original, but still made a nice profit, earning $90.6 million worldwide against a budget of $18 million.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is scheduled to hit theaters on September 8, 2023.

Surprise Hit: My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) turned out to be a surprise big hit at the worldwide box office, grossing $368.7 million at the box office on a budget of just $5 million.

Sequel: Despite all the success and rave reviews, there was a 14-year gap between the first film and the sequel, which was finally released in March 2016.