The Big Fat Greek Wedding Franchise: A Growing Family

There are three movies in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise: My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016), and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023). The first film was written by Nia Vardalos and directed by Joel Zwick, and the third film was both written and directed by Vardalos. The franchise also includes a television series, My Big Fat Greek Life (2003).

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

There are three films in the 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' franchise: 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' (2002), 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2' (2016), and 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3' (2023). There was also a short-lived TV series, 'My Big Fat Greek Life', in 2003.

'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' (2002) is a romantic comedy film directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos, who also stars in the film. It is based on Vardalos's own experience of marrying a non-Greek man and was first developed as a one-woman 45-minute monologue workshop in the HBO Workshop in 1997. The film follows 30-year-old Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, a member of a large, loud, intrusive Greek family who want her to get married and have children. Toula works in her family's Greek restaurant, "Dancing Zorba's", but longs to do something more with her life. One day, a schoolteacher named Ian Miller comes into the restaurant, and Toula develops a crush on him. She decides to go to college to learn about computers, but her father Gus is upset by the idea, claiming Toula wants to leave him. Her mother Maria convinces him to agree, and Toula eventually gains more confidence, changing her image and taking a job at her aunt's travel agency. Her newfound happiness at work catches Ian's attention, and he asks her to dinner. They continue dating and fall in love, but Toula knows her family will not approve of her dating a non-Greek. Eventually, Ian proposes, and the couple must navigate the challenges of getting their families to accept their relationship and planning their wedding. The film received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing $368.7 million worldwide against its $5 million budget. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 75th Academy Awards and for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Vardalos at the 60th Golden Globe Awards.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)

The My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise consists of three films and a television series. The second film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, was released in 2016. It is an American romantic comedy directed by Kirk Jones and written by Nia Vardalos, who also stars in the film. The cast includes John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin, Ian Gomez, and Elena Kampouris.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 follows the life of Toula Portokalos-Miller, whose life is in disarray. Her travel agency and the family dry cleaners have closed due to the recession, and the only business still running is the family restaurant owned by her father, Gus. Her husband, Ian, is the principal at their teenage daughter Paris' high school. Paris, who is applying to colleges, feels suffocated by her close-knit family, who constantly interfere in her life. Ian and Toula's marriage has become strained due to Toula's obsessive need to be involved in Paris' life and her family's issues.

Meanwhile, Gus believes he is a direct descendant of Alexander the Great and wants confirmation from an online ancestry site. While going through his records, he discovers that his and Maria's marriage certificate was never signed by the priest, invalidating their union. His current priest agrees to perform a new ceremony, but Maria wants Gus to propose properly. When he refuses, Maria declines to go through with the ceremony.

When Gus has to be hospitalised, Maria initially refuses to go with him, saying she is not his wife. Gus pleads with her to marry him again, and this time, she accepts. Maria wants a grand wedding, so she hires a wedding planner, who later quits due to the family's outlandish choices. The whole family comes together to plan the wedding, and Gus's estranged brother, Panos, arrives from Greece as a surprise.

Paris has been accepted to Northwestern University in Chicago and NYU in New York City. She chooses Northwestern to please her mother, but her great-grandmother convinces her to go to New York. Paris also asks Bennett, a boy she likes, to the prom, who turns out to be Greek. The prom night coincides with the wedding, so Toula tells Paris she can go to the prom if she attends the wedding reception later.

On the way to the church, Gus, Panos, and Taki arrive drunk after drinking ouzo. Maria becomes upset with Gus for not taking the wedding seriously and storms off to the vestry. Panos tells Maria that Gus confided in him about his love for her, so the ceremony continues. While Gus and Maria renew their marriage, Ian and Toula privately renew theirs. The movie ends with the entire family dropping Paris off at her college dorm in New York.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 received negative reviews from critics and grossed $90.6 million worldwide against an $18 million budget.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)

The third instalment in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, was released in 2023. The film is an American romantic comedy, written and directed by Nia Vardalos, who also reprises her role as co-star.

The film follows the Portokalos family as they travel to Greece for a family reunion following the death of Toula's father, Gus. The family is grappling with grief, with Nick returning home after a separation, Athena and Yiannis caring for Maria, who is battling dementia, and Toula and Ian facing the challenges of parenthood as their daughter Paris struggles with the responsibility of college.

The family is invited to Gus' hometown of Vrisi by Victory, a distant relative and the town's mayor. On the trip, Toula attempts to locate her father's childhood friends and bring them his journal, which contains his life story. They arrive in Athens, where Victory greets them, and go sightseeing. In Vrisi, they find Gus' childhood home and meet Alexandra, Gus's old flame, and her son Peter, whom Gus never knew about. Victory confesses there is no reunion, hoping the family would help revive the village.

The next day, Toula searches for Gus's friends without success and gets drunk on ouzo. Ian befriends a monk, who has information about everyone's activities in the village. At dinner, Toula and Ian meet Peter's son Christos, and Alexandra's assistant Qamar. The following day, Toula informs her family about Peter, but struggles to locate Gus' friends. The monk gives Ian a list of those who left the village, and Toula is able to locate one in Syros.

The family learns about Christos and Qamar's engagement, as well as Paris's academic probation. Ian offers to intervene, but the younger generation decides to address their issues independently. Peter and Alexandra eventually come to terms with the relationship, and Victory initiates plans for a wedding to revitalise the village. The film ends with Qamar's family joining the Portokaloses for the wedding, and Toula, Nick, and Peter scattering Gus' ashes around the oldest tree in Vrisi.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 received generally negative reviews from critics and has grossed $39 million worldwide.

My Big Fat Greek Life (2003) TV series

The My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise consists of three theatrical films and a television series. The series, titled My Big Fat Greek Life, aired in 2003. It is an American sitcom that ran on CBS from February 24 to April 13, 2003, with a total of seven episodes. The series is a continuation of the 2002 movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding and was produced by Sony Pictures Television and Tom Hanks's Playtone Productions for CBS.

The series follows the main character, Nia Portokalos, a Greek-American woman, as she navigates her family and her new non-Greek husband, Thomas Miller, an English teacher who struggles to fit in with her family's Greek traditions. The family members featured in the series include her parents, Maria and Gus, who own the Greek restaurant where she works; her brother Nick, who feels ambivalent towards Thomas; her aunt Voula; and her cousin Nikki.

The sitcom premiered with high ratings, averaging 22.9 million viewers and was the highest-rated premiere of any network sitcom since NBC's Jesse. However, the following week, ratings dropped by 28%, averaging 16.5 million viewers, which eventually led to the show's cancellation.

The series received poor reviews from critics, who noted the random character entrances and serious plot adjustments that did not align with the film. Despite the criticism, the seven episodes of the series are available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, the studio that produced the show.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding's origins

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, who also wrote and starred in the films. The first film, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", was released in 2002 and grossed $368 million worldwide. It received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 75th Academy Awards.

The film is based on Vardalos's own experience as a Greek-American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek man. In the film, thirty-year-old Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, played by Vardalos, is a member of a large, loud, intrusive Greek family that only wants her to get married and have children. She works in her family's Chicago restaurant, "Dancing Zorba's", but longs to do something more with her life. One day, she meets a school teacher named Ian Miller, played by John Corbett, and develops a crush on him. Despite her family's objections to her dating a non-Greek, Toula and Ian fall in love and get engaged. The film follows the couple's journey as they navigate the challenges of cross-cultural romance and ultimately win the acceptance of Toula's family.

The success of the first film led to the creation of a franchise, including a short-lived television spin-off, "My Big Fat Greek Life", in 2003, and two sequels, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" in 2016 and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" in 2023. The sequels continue the story of Toula and Ian as they navigate the challenges of parenting, marriage, and family dynamics, with the third film also exploring the theme of family loss and reunion.

The "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" franchise has become a beloved and successful comedy series, with the first film being particularly well-received by critics and audiences alike. The films' light-hearted and eccentric portrayal of cultural differences, family dynamics, and romantic comedy has resonated with viewers, and the franchise has grossed a combined total of \$460 million worldwide.

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