Nia Vardalos Confirms My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 Is Filming in Greece — and She's Directing!
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Get ready for more My Big Fat Greek Wedding!
In an Instagram video Tuesday, actress Nia Vardalos thanked fans for their "lovely messages" waiting on another sequel as she happily confirmed filming has begun in Athens, Greece, for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.
"And guess who the director is," Vardalos, 59, said in the clip. "It's me!" (She previously directed the 2009 movie I Hate Valentine's Day with her My Big Fat Greek Wedding costar John Corbett.)
She plays Toula Portokalos in the comedy film series, which started with the record-breaking 2002 original. (It made more than $350 million worldwide on only a $5 million budget.) Vardalos wrote that and the 2016 sequel, and both films also starred Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin and Joey Fatone.
Constantine died in August at age 94. Vardalos paid tribute to him at the time, tweeting, "Michael Constantine, the dad to our cast-family, a gift to the written word, and always a friend. Acting with him came with a rush of love and fun. I will treasure this man who brought Gus to life. He gave us so much laughter and deserves a rest now. We love you Michael."
RELATED: My Big Fat Greek Wedding Actors Reunite to Honor Late Costar Michael Constantine: 'We Miss You'
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Constantine's on-screen wife Kazan also shared a tribute to him on Facebook. "I just found out that my dear friend Michael Constantine passed away today. He was a beloved friend and a brilliant actor/writer who taught me so much about my craft and LIFE," she wrote at the time. "We shared a make-believe marriage for over 20 years in the movies My Big Fat Greek Wedding 1 and 2 and soon-to-be 3. What a beautiful relationship. Michael you will be missed. Heaven has gained another angel."
Then in September, Vardalos reunited with some of her cast members to "honor the memory" of Constantine, explaining "friends in real life are why our films are so much fun to make."
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She wrote on Instagram that the late actor "had told me he wouldn't be able to join us for the third film and his wish was that we go on. I wrote the screenplay to reflect Michael's decision and will always treasure his last messages to me, hoping we were filming soon. The various variants have made indies difficult, but we are hopeful. Please do stop calling my mom to ask if you can be in it and please do not tell me your ideas, the script is finished. (And no Toula and Ian are not grandparents!) We miss you Michael, thank you for bringing my words to life with such passion and accuracy, you will always be with us."
Back in January 2020, Vardalos teased to PEOPLE that it was a "strong maybe" that there'd be a third My Big Fat Greek Wedding movie, but "I don't want to put the cart before the horse." She added, "It is an offer the producers gave me during the filming of 2, and so it's just there, which is really, really nice to know that when I'm ready we'll have something to tell you."
