Break out the Windex: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 has begun filming in Greece, Empire reports. Creator Nia Vardalos, who wrote the first two movies and the short-lived spin-off TV series, will return as writer and reprise her role as Fotoula “Toula” Portokalos.
Although she has been heavily involved with the series from the beginning, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 marks the first time Vardalos will be directing. The actress shared the news in an Instagram post on Tuesday, teasing a brief glimpse of the filming location in Athens, Greece, and excitedly announcing:
“I want to teach you your first Greek word, which is σκηνοθέτης. What that means is ‘director,’ and guess who the director is? It’s me!” In the caption, Vardalos wrote “Thank you to Playtone, Gold Circle, HBO and Focus! And much love and gratitude to you all for your support as we waited to film. Greece baby. Greece!”
Although there’s no official word on a plot yet, sources at Deadline allege this big fat wedding will be that of Paris, daughter of Toula (Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett). It’s also rumored that the sequel will be mostly set in Greece instead of Chicago, where the first two films take place.
A release date for the film is still TBA.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding Remains Highest-Grossing Romantic Comedy of All Time
Adapted from a 1997 one-woman stage show by Vardalos, 2002’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding follows Toula, a young Greek-American woman working at her family’s restaurant when she falls for school teacher Ian Miller. Chaos ensues as Toula’s boisterous Greek family and Ian’s conservative WASP-y family begin to intermingle, raising questions of culture and acceptance.
The romantic comedy, which garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, is one of the most profitable movies of all time. It also remains the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time at $241,438,208 USD.
The film spawned a short-lived spin-off series titled My Big Fat Greek Life, which ran for seven episodes; the first film sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, focuses on Toula and Ian’s daughter as she attempts to decide on a college amid family pressure (and another hectic Greek wedding).
While it’ll likely be a while before viewers celebrate another wedding with the Portokalos clan, fans can get their fix with the original My Big Fat Greek Wedding streaming on Hulu, Prime Video, and HBO Max. Opa!
