Nia Vardalos, the creator and star of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise, spoke during a panel at FanX Salt Lake City. Discussing the Portokalos family, Vardalos shared her thoughts on the long-running series.
The sentiment comes following the 2023 installment, which was widely marketed as a reunion and a potential “final chapter” for the central cast. Explaining her motivation for returning to the characters, Vardalos told the audience, “I just feel like I can’t not hang out with this family.”
A Milestone Anniversary and Franchise Legacy
The original My Big Fat Greek Wedding film will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2027. Released in 2002, it became one of the most successful independent films in cinema history, grossing $368.7 million at the global box office.
In preparation for the upcoming milestone, the Writers Guild Foundation hosted a special script breakdown with Vardalos on September 14, 2026. This session allowed for a retrospective look at the writing process of the original film.
The history of the series follows a decade of sporadic updates, with a 14-year gap between the original film and its first sequel in 2016, followed by a Greece-set installment in 2023. Vardalos has remained the primary creative force throughout the series’ history, serving as both the lead actress and screenwriter, and directing the most recent installment.
