The unnecessary threequel to a dreadful sequel scares away a horror sensation on streaming

We have all wondered at some point or another why Hollywood keeps churning out meaningless sequels to beloved classics that come nowhere near to capturing their essence or cultural impact, yet the streaming numbers for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 on Prime Video are saying “hold my ouzo”.

According to FlixPatrol, the third outing for the Portokalos family is doing fairly well on the United States Prime Video streaming charts, even beating out the likes of Five Nights at Freddy’s, Upgraded, and Top Gun: Maverick. On Thursday and Friday, March 28 and 29, the 2023 film was sitting pretty in the chart’s fourth position, just behind the old Road House, the new Road House, and Ricky Stanicky.

The threequel, which sees nearly the entire original cast return to their roles, including writer/director Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin, premiered in theaters September 8, 2023, but only made its way to Prime Video on March 12, 2024. Since generating a meager $39.1 million at the worldwide box office, subscribers who never made it to theaters to watch the film have been discovering it to mixed opinions.

“I am watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. What a big fat plotless meandering dud,” one X user said, adding that they want their 92 minutes back, while another thought it was “hilarious.”

In the romantic comedy film, the gang goes to Greece to visit Gus’ hometown of Vrisi and try to find his childhood friends. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is the first in the series without Michael Constantine, who played the patriarch of the Portokalos family and passed away in 2021. The trip to Greece and the Gus-centred plot served as a tribute to the late actor whose performance was a trademark of the first two films.