My Big Fat Greek Wedding (franchise)

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My Big Fat Greek Wedding
My Big Fat Greek Wedding - franchise logo.png
Official franchise logo
Created by Nia Vardalos
Owners
Years2002 - 2023
Films and television
Film(s)
Television series My Big Fat Greek Life (2003)

The My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise, consists of American romantic comedies, including three theatrical films, and a television series. The series was created by Nia Vardalos.

Contents

The two films grossed $460 million worldwide [1] [2] against a $23 million combined budget. [1] [3] The first film received positive reviews from critics, while the sequels received mostly negative reviews.

Films

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Everyone in the Portokalos family worries about Toula (Nia Vardalos). Still unmarried at 30 years old, she works at Dancing Zorba's, the Greek restaurant owned by her parents, Gus (Michael Constantine) and Maria (Lainie Kazan). After taking a job at her aunt's travel agency, she falls in love with Ian Miller (John Corbett), a teacher who is tall, handsome, and definitely not Greek. Toula isn't sure which will be more upsetting to her father, that Ian is a foreigner or that he's a vegetarian. The film was a sleeper hit, and the film became the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time. [4] The film grossed $241 million domestically for a worldwide total of $368 million, despite not reaching No. 1 at the box office, against a $5 million budget. [5] The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay at the 75th Academy Awards.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)

17 years after the first film, parenting and marriage is becoming tougher and tougher for Toula (Nia Vardalos) and her husband Ian (John Corbett). Not only has their relationship lost some of its spark, but they're also dealing with a rebellious teenage daughter who clashes with Greek traditions. On top of that, Toula must contend with aging parents and the endless need of cousins and friends. But when a shocking family secret comes to light, the entire Portokalos clan makes plans to come together for an even bigger wedding than before. The film was less successful than the original, grossing $59 million domestically, with a $88 million worldwide gross, against an $18 million budget.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)

In late June 2016, Nia Vardalos hinted at the possibility of a third film, saying that although no writing has been done, she does have an idea. [6] On April 8, 2021, it was announced that My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 was in development, to be written by Vardalos as an independent film, who will also reprise her role as co-star. The project was also revealed to have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, in which production will commence once the studios maintains insurance for its crew, with principal photography scheduled to take place in Greece. [7] [8] On October 1, 2021, Vardalos confirmed that the script for the third film had been completed and that it would involve another Greek wedding. [9] On May 15, 2022, it was announced that filming will take place throughout Greece in the summer of 2022, with large portions being shot on Corfu from July 5 to August 3, 2022. [10] The film will be dedicated to the memory of Michael Constantine, who died on August 31, 2021, at the age of 94. [11] In June 2022, Vardalos was announced to serve as director, with a script that she wrote. Principal photography commenced in Athens, Greece on June 22, 2022, and wrapped on August 10, 2022. [12] The project will be a joint-venture production between Playtone, Gold Circle Films, HBO Films, and Focus Features. [13] [14] The film was released on September 8, 2023. [15] The film follows the Portokalos family on a trip to Greece for a family reunion following the death of Toula's father, Gus. [16]

FilmU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwriterProducersStatus
My Big Fat Greek Wedding April 19, 2002 Joel Zwick Nia Vardalos Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson & Gary Goetzman Released
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 March 25, 2016 Kirk Jones
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 September 8, 2023 [15] Nia Vardalos

Television

The film inspired the short-lived television spin-off My Big Fat Greek Life (2003). Most of the major characters were played by the same actors, with the exception of John Corbett being replaced by Steven Eckholdt.

The show received poor reviews from critics noting the random character entrances and serious plot "adjustments" that did not match the film. The seven episodes from the series are available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, whose TV studio division produced the show.

Primary cast and characters

List indicator

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

CharactersFilmTelevision
My Big Fat Greek Wedding My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 My Big Fat Greek Life
Fortoula "Toula" Nia Portokalos-Miller Nia Vardalos
Ian Thomas Miller John Corbett Steven Eckholdt
Paris Miller Arielle Sugarman Elena Kampouris
Maria Portokalos Lainie Kazan
Nick Portokalos Louis Mandylor
Costas "Gus" Portokalos Michael Constantine Michael Constantine
Theia Voula Andrea Martin
Nikki Portokalos Gia Carides
Uncle Taki Gerry Mendicino
Cousin Angelo Joey Fatone
Mana-YiayiaBess Meisler
Athena PortokalosStavroula Logothettis
Mike Ian Gomez
Rodney Miller Bruce Gray
Harriet Miller Fiona Reid
Mrs. White Jayne Eastwood
Thiea Freida Maria Vacratsis
YianniPeter Tharos
JennieChrissy Paraskevopoulos
MarianthiKathryn Haggis
IlariaJeanie Calleja
Marge Kathryn Greenwood
EdieTannis Burnett
Panos Portakalos Mark Margolis
George John Stamos
Anna Rita Wilson
Bennett Alex Wolff
Northwestern Rep Rob Riggle
Wedding PlannerAshleigh Rains
PatrickJeff White
AristotleElias Kacavas
VictoryMelina Kotselou

Additional crew and production detail

TitleCrew/Detail
Composer(s)CinematographerEditor(s)Production companiesDistributing companiesRunning time
My Big Fat Greek Wedding Chris Wilson
Alexander Janko		Jeffrey JurMia Goldman HBO Films
Playtone Films
Gold Circle Films
MPH Entertainment 		IFC Films 95 min
My Big Fat Greek Life John Adair
Chris Wilson
Steve Hampton		Gil HubbsBarry L. Gold
Michael Karlich		 Playtone Television
Brad Grey Television
Sony Pictures Television
Marsh McCall Productions		 CBS
Sony Pictures Television		210 min
(30min/episodes)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Christopher Lennertz Jim DenaultMarkus CzyzewskiHBO Films
Playtone Films
Gold Circle Films		 Universal Pictures 94 min [17]
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 Stephanie Economou Barry Peterson Annette Davey
Craig Herring		HBO Films
Focus Features
Gold Circle Films
The Playtone Company 		Focus Features 92 min [18]

Reception

Box office performance

FilmRelease dateBox office grossBox office rankingBudgetRef(s)
United States
opening weekend		North AmericaOther
territories		WorldwideAll time
North America		All time
worldwide
My Big Fat Greek WeddingApril 19, 2002$3,002,241$241,438,208$127,305,836$368,744,044#132#333$5 million [1]
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2March 25, 2016$17,861,950$59,689,605$30,943,036$90,632,641#1,389—$18 million [2] [3]
Totals$301,127,813$158,248,872$459,376,685$23 million [19]

Critical and public response

FilmCriticalPublic
Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 76% (129 reviews) [20] 62/100 (29 reviews) [21] A–
My Big Fat Greek Life — [22] 40/100 (13 reviews) [23] —
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 27% (176 reviews) [24] 37/100 (32 reviews) [25] A− [26]
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 30% (76 reviews) [27] 34/100 (23 reviews) [28] B [26]

Related Research Articles

<i>My Big Fat Greek Wedding</i> 2002 film by Joel Zwick

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos. The film stars Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Gia Carides, Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, and Joey Fatone. It follows a young Greek-American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nia Vardalos</span> Canadian actress and screenwriter (born 1962)

Antonia Eugenia Vardalos is a Canadian actress and screenwriter. She starred in and wrote the romantic comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), which garnered her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, which went on to spawn a media franchise.

<i>Connie and Carla</i> 2004 American film

Connie and Carla is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Michael Lembeck and starring Nia Vardalos, Toni Collette, and David Duchovny. The screenplay was written by Vardalos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Constantine</span> American actor (1927–2021)

Michael Constantine was an American actor. He is most widely recognized for his portrayal of Kostas "Gus" Portokalos, the stubborn Greek father of Toula Portokalos, in the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). For his performance, Constantine won a Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Musical or Comedy.

<i>My Big Fat Greek Life</i> 2003 American TV series or program

My Big Fat Greek Life is an American sitcom television series that ran on CBS from February 24 to April 13, 2003. The series is a continuation of the 2002 movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding and was produced by Sony Pictures Television and Tom Hanks' Playtone Productions for CBS. The two lead characters' names are changed, from Toula and Ian, to Nia and Thomas.

<i>My Life in Ruins</i> 2009 film by Donald Petrie

My Life in Ruins is a 2009 romantic-comedy film directed by Donald Petrie and starring Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Alexis Georgoulis, Rachel Dratch, Harland Williams and Alistair McGowan. Set among the ruins of ancient Greece, the film follows a tour guide whose life takes a personal detour, while her group gets entangled in comic situations among the ruins, with a series of unexpected stops along the way. The film was released on May 7, 2009, in Greece and on June 5, 2009, in the United States.

<i>I Hate Valentines Day</i> 2009 American film

I Hate Valentine's Day is a 2009 romantic comedy film written and directed by Nia Vardalos. The film stars Vardalos and John Corbett, previously seen together in Vardalos' hit 2002 film My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The film was released on July 3, 2009, by IFC Films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Grey Pictures</span> American independent film production company

Point Grey (PGP) is a Canadian-American film and television production company, founded in 2011 by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The company is named after Point Grey Secondary School in Vancouver, where they met.

Dumb and Dumber is a series of comedy films starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. The films have been released from 1994 to 2014.

The Barbershop franchise consists of American comedy installments including four theatrical movies, and a spin-off TV series. Based on an original story by Mark Brown, the plot centers around the social lives of and the events that employees of a barbershop on social life in a barbershop on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois encounter.

<i>My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2</i> 2016 American film

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is a 2016 American romantic comedy film directed by Kirk Jones and written by Nia Vardalos. The film stars Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin, Ian Gomez, and Elena Kampouris.

<i>Pitch Perfect</i> (franchise) American musical comedy media franchise

Pitch Perfect is an American musical comedy media franchise created by Kay Cannon, based on the non-fiction book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin. Jason Moore directed the first film, Elizabeth Banks directed the second, and Trish Sie directed the third. Paul Brooks, Max Handelman, and Banks produced the films. The film series features an ensemble cast, including Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin, Adam DeVine, Ben Platt, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Hailee Steinfeld, Chrissie Fit, John Michael Higgins, and Banks; while the television series stars DeVine. The series is distributed by Universal Pictures.

<i>My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3</i> 2023 film by Nia Vardalos

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is a 2023 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Nia Vardalos. The third installment in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise, the film stars Vardalos, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin. It is the first entry not to star Michael Constantine, Bess Meisler, and Ian Gomez. Filming took place in Athens, Greece, from June through August 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  2. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony; Tartaglione, Nancy (21 March 2016). "'Batman V. Superman' Targets Second-Best Pre-Summer Global Opening With $350M". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  4. ↑ "TV Review - My Big Fat Greek Life". Entertainment Weekly . 2003-04-07. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  5. ↑ "Top Grossing Movies that never hit #1". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  6. ↑ Nia Vardalos Hints At My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. ITV. June 29, 2016. At time 5:36 – via YouTube.
  7. ↑ Guerrero, Bethany (April 8, 2021). "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 Is Officially In The Works". Screent Rant. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  8. ↑ Stone, Megan (April 8, 2021). "'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3' in the works, Nia Vardalos confirms". Good Morning America. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  9. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (October 1, 2021). "Nia Vardalos Tributes Michael Constatine; Shares Update On 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  10. ↑ Bureau, Athens (May 15, 2022). "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: Nia Vardalos prepares for filming in Corfu". greekcitytimes.com. Retrieved May 18, 2022.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  11. ↑ Weiss, Benjamin (June 27, 2022). "Everything To Know About My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3". Screen Rant . Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  12. ↑ Echebiri, Makuochi (August 10, 2022). "'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3' Wraps Filming in Greece". Collider . Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  13. ↑ Burton, Carson (June 22, 2022). "Nia Vardalos Announces 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3' Is Filming Now in Greece". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  14. ↑ Mendelsohn, Jon (June 22, 2022). "Let the Fun Begin! 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3' Begins Filming in Greece". Collider. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  15. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 17, 2023). "'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3' To Hit Theaters In Early Fall". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  16. ↑ Nia Vardalos Spills on 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3' Filmed in Greece for 'Family Reunion'. The Talk . November 9, 2022. At time 0:33 – via YouTube.
  17. ↑ "MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2 (12A)". British Board of Film Classification . March 2, 2016. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  18. ↑ "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (12A)". British Board of Film Classification . August 8, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  19. ↑ "My Big Fat Greek Wedding Movies at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  20. ↑ "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved April 16, 2022. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  21. ↑ "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  22. ↑ "My Big Fat Greek Life". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  23. ↑ "My Big Fat Greek Life". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  24. ↑ "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 10, 2021. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  25. ↑ "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  26. 1 2 "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  27. ↑ "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  28. ↑ "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
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