The network has officially ordered seven episodes of the half-hour comedy; that number could increase, however, as the series producers are in negotiations with CBS to bump the pickup to 13.

Just like the feature, the TV *Greek Wedding* will star Nia Vardalos as a woman whose life revolves around a traditional Greek family. The series will pick up as Vardalos' character starts dating a non-Greek man behind her parents' back.

Vardalos, who originated and starred in the one-woman stage show, which Tom Hanks' Playtone Prods. banner turned into the feature picture, wrote the pilot with Marsh McCall (*Just Shoot Me*). McCall will executive produce, along with Vardalos' manager Brad Grey and Rita Wilson, Hanks' wife; Vardalos will serve as co-executive producer.

Wilson's involvement has become the stuff of legends: the actress fell in love with the play and was instrumental in bringing her husband on board. The film, which cost about $5 million to make, has now grossed nore than $110 million at the North American box office. It is poised to pass the $140 million haul of *The Blair Witch Project* to become the biggest-grossing indie film of all time.

Grey said that he was originally interested in the TV project because *it seemed like a wonderful CBS comedy. It seemed like it would complement their schedule very well. It has great warmth and is just very funny.*

Following the picture's success, Grey is even more optimistic about the show's chances.

*It's become so popular around the country, it feels like there's even more potential and an audience that's been built around it,* he said.

CBS initially gave the project a hefty pilot commitment last October, and although the network didn't pick up *Greek Wedding* for fall, it ordered an additional three scripts in late May.

Besides Vardalos, Michael Constantine and Lainie Kazan, who played Vardalos' parents in the picture, are expected to reprise their characters in the series. Louis Mandylor is also likely to return as brother Nick. John Corbett, who played Vardalos' fiance, is starring in FX's upcoming series *Lucky.*

Made with a small budget, by Hollywood standards, of only $5 million, the movie is now poised to make more than $100 million.

It stars John Corbett from *Sex and the City* fame, and Nia Vardalos.

It's all about a young Greek woman who falls in love with a non-Greek man.

It opened up in April to mediocre box office sales of about a half million. But as of the last few weeks, it has climbed and remained in the top 10 for the weekend box office.

*Wedding* marks the producing debut of Rita Wilson, otherwise known as Mrs. Tom Hanks. I caught up with Wilson this week in Hollywood and had a brief chat about the movie.

Kendis Gibson: Congratulations on all your success with *My Big Fat Greek Wedding.* I hear the sequel is going to be called my big fat paycheck.

Rita Wilson: We don't have a sequel, but we have a series that's going to be on CBS, and we're trying to figure out the title for that show, which will either be *My Big Loud Family,* or *My Big Fat Life.* I don't know. We go back and forth all the time.

Gibson: But $100 million from this small budget movie, your producing debut, are you surprised at all at how America has embraced it?

Wilson: I'm not surprised at all at how America has embraced it. I'm surprised at the amount that America does embrace it. I think, what a wonderful sort of lesson that we've learned ... that you can have this wholesome movie that appeals to all age groups, that doesn't have to be violent, or too much sex, or anything like that, and just purely funny that's enough for people and just appeals to everybody.