It’s time to book your flight to Genovia – on 15 November 2022, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively revealed that a brand new Princess Diaries film was officially in the works at Disney, and now, we finally have confirmation that it will feature our very own awkward high schooler-turned-monarch, Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway).
It’s welcome news for fans of the franchise who’ve been waiting over two decades for its third instalment, though rumours of another sequel have been swirling for years. Back in 2016, Garry Marshall, the director of the first film and its delightful follow-up The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, discussed the possibility of a third film, but plans were temporarily shelved following his death later that year. Talks slowly resumed over the next few years and during a TV appearance in 2019, Hathaway teased that there was in fact a script for the next film. “I want to do it, Julie [Andrews] wants to do it, Debra Martin Chase, our producer, wants to do it,” she said. “We all really want it to happen, it’s just we don’t want to do it unless it’s perfect, because we love it just as much as you guys love it.”
So, it was, of course, only a matter of time before the Oscar winner’s presence was confirmed. She shared the long-awaited update on Instagram, captioning the post: “Miracles happen”.
She’ll be joined by Debra Martin Chase, a veteran of the first two films, who’ll be taking on producing duties; The High Note’s Flora Greeson, who’s penning the script; and Adele Lim, the director of Joy Ride and co-writer of Crazy Rich Asians, who will be helming the new project. Also, to quell the fears of purists, sources have added that the film will be a continuation of the existing series rather than a reboot.
Several questions now remain. Will Julie Andrews, who despite voicing Bridgerton’s Lady Whistledown has not appeared on screen since 2017, reprise her role as the always poised, scrupulously diplomatic former Queen Clarisse? And what about Heather Matarazzo’s quirky best friend Lily, Chris Pine’s dashing Nicholas Devereaux, or Mandy Moore’s scathing cheerleader Lana Thomas from the first film? Whatever happens, we’ve got our fingers crossed for more makeovers, glittering balls, brutal quips, side-splitting set pieces and plenty of mattress surfing.
