Confirmation, Anne Hathaway's Return & Everything We Know

Anne Hathaway arguably got her big break with Disney's The Princess Diaries franchise, and the Queen of Genovia's story will continue 20 years later.

A-list star Anne Hathaway got her start appearing as the socially awkward princess of the mythical Genovia, Mia Thermopolis, in 2001, and the now-queen of Genovia is continuing her tale with The Princess Diaries 3news hitting the airwaves. The country of Genovia and its rulers — original queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews), princess Mia (Hathaway), and Nicholas Deveraux (Chris Pine) — haven't graced the screens since the 2004 sequel film The Princess Diaries 2, which saw Mia transition from Princess to Queen and change many of Genovia's sexist policies such as the lack of women in Parliament and the law on royal marriages.

Now, nearly 20 years later, the story of Mia Thermopolis and her reign over Genovia will be continued on the big screen, according to the latest The Princess Diaries 3 news. While the first film zeroed in on Mia as a bumbling teenager finding out for the first time that she's actually a princess, and the second movie centered on Mia transitioning from princess to queen, the third film will presumably be set far along into Mia's rule and could possibly even be a legacy sequel. Though The Princess Diaries 3 is currently only in its earliest development stages, some news has come to light.

The Latest The Princess Diaries 3 News

Recent The Princess Diaries 3 news saw Grey's Anatomy star Sandra Oh address the possibility of her returning to The Princess Diaries franchise. Oh portrayed Vice Principal Gupta in The Princess Diaries, and while she wasn't a part of the sequel she's made it clear that she's ready to return to the trilogy for the third installment. In an interview with EW, Oh claimed that she was excited by the possibility of returning to the role, but has yet to be contacted by the production team. She stated, "I am ready for the Queen. Call me! I'm dying to see how Gupta has moved up in the world."

The Princess Diaries 3 Is Confirmed

Luckily, The Princess Diaries 3 news confirms that the film is currently in the development stages at Disney. Disney announced that The Princess Diaries 3 was confirmed back in November 2022, and updates surrounding the production have been trickling out ever since. So far, Aadrita Mukerji (Supergirl) has been hired to pen the screenplay, and the original Princess Diaries producer Debra Martin (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) will also be producing the third film. In addition, Melissa Stack (The Other Woman) is executive producing The Princess Diaries 3.

As of now, there is no The Princess Diaries 3 release date. In addition, no director has signed on to The Princess Diaries 3 yet, and Garry Marshall (Georgia Rule), who directed the first two films, sadly passed away in 2016 when talks for a third film were just starting up again. Julie Andrews expressed to BuzzFeed News in 2017 that the potential third installment would act as a tribute to Marshall, stating, "I think we might do it in honor of [Marshall]... Annie had an idea that she wanted to pursue about it, and I'm all for it, so if she'd like to."

The Princess Diaries 3 Cast

Outside of The Princess Diaries 3 news that declares Sandra Oh's desire to reprise her role, few casting updates have come to light. The Princess Diaries 3 cast remains unformed thus far, but previous stars have spoken out in the past about the possibility of returning. Audiences are hoping that Anne Hathaway will return as the titular princess Mia Thermopolis, and while Hathaway did give a disappointing update regarding The Princess Diaries 3's prolonged development, she hasn't signed on to return yet. The other star that viewers are curious about is the prolific Julie Andrews' reprisal of Clarisse Renaldi. An interview with Access Hollywood saw Andrews stating that she probably wouldn't be able to do the film:

I think we know that it’s probably not going to be possible. It was talked about very shortly after two [The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement] came out, but it’s now how many years since then? And I am that much older and Annie the princess, or queen, is so much older. And I am not sure where it would float or run. In terms of us doing it, I doubt that now.

While Julie Andrews not being in The Princess Diaries 3 cast is disappointing, the star is 87 years old and after her storied career has earned a well-deserved break. Chris Pine, who played Mia's second love interest, Lord Nicholas Deveraux, has spoken to ET about returning, saying, "Yeah, I'm here! I'm here for it. Give me a phone call or an email." Actor Hector Elizondo, who plays Mia's confidante and Clarisse's bodyguard-turned-husband Joe in the franchise, has also expressed interest in coming back (via EW). According to Elle back in 2019, Heather Matarazzo (Lilly) admitted to being on board for The Princess Diaries 3, as well as Mandy Moore (Lana).

The Princess Diaries 3 Story Details

There has been little The Princess Diaries 3 news regarding a potential plot, but Disney has managed to reveal a few details. Reportedly, The Princess Diaries 3 story would continue Mia's tale as ruler of Genovia. The Princess Diaries franchise is based on a series of eponymous novels by Meg Cabot. While the first film followed the novel somewhat accurately, the second movie diverged significantly from its source material. Therefore, it's difficult to pinpoint a specific plot from the book series that The Princess Diaries 3 could cover in full. The latest book in the series, The Princess Diaries, Volume XI: Royal Wedding, reveals that Mia is pregnant with twins.

Since it has been two decades since The Princess Diaries 2, it's highly likely that The Princess Diaries 3 story will delve into Mia's successive family life. The plot could borrow from the books by giving Mia twins and exploring her role as a royal and mother. This would open up the potential for a legacy sequel, seeing Mia's kids as they struggle to become fully-fledged royals just as their mother did. The Princess Diaries 3 could also choose to see Mia childless, as his her right. Regardless, the focus will be on the relatable Mia Thermopolis as The Princess Diaries 3 brings an entirely new story to the screen.