Anne Hathaway has shared a update on the long awaited third Princess Diaries film, revealing that the project recently hit a “story breakthrough” after the team had to scrap an earlier version of the script.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy, host Andy Cohen asked Hathaway directly where things stood with ‘Princess Diaries 3’. She said she’s currently busy expecting her third child, which has taken priority over pinning down a timeline for the film. She added that the script they had been working on didn’t end up working out, and the team had to start over with a new direction, something she admitted isn’t the update fans have been hoping for. Still, she said everyone involved now feels confident this new version is the one that will finally move forward.
The full story details have been kept under wraps, one report has suggested the new direction shift away from writing Mia as an adult still framed like a princess, and instead leans into her role as a reigning queen of Genovia. The earlier script, written by Flora Greeson, had reportedly been completed before the team decided to abandon it in favor of this new approach.
Princess Diaries 3’ has been in development since 2022, with Adele Lim, known for “Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon”. Signing on to direct in 2024. Speaking about the project earlier this year, Adele Lim said the team simply wants to get the story right, given how beloved the franchise remains. The film is being produced by Debra Martin Chase, who also produced the first two films, alongside Naia Cucukov and Melissa Stack. Anne Hathaway is also producing under her own banner, Somewhere Pictures.
The original Princess Diaries released in 2001, based on Meg Cabot’s novel, and followed Mia Thermopolis, an awkward San Francisco teenager who discovers she’s the heir to the throne of the fictional kingdom of Genovia. Julie Andrews played her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi, in a performance that helped define the film for a generation of fans. A sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, followed in 2004, in which Mia is crowned queen and reunites with love interest Nicholas Devereaux, played by Chris Pine. Together, the two films earned close to $300 million worldwide.
As of now, neither Julie Andrews nor Chris Pine has been confirmed to reprise their roles in the third film. Hathaway’s comments don’t touch on the rest of the cast, so it remains unclear whether Andrews will return as Queen Clarisse or whether Pine’s Nicholas Devereaux will factor into the new direction. With the script itself only recently reworked, casting decisions for the supporting roles are likely still some way off.
In a conversation Meg Cabot said she was thrilled a third film was finally happening, adding that she read an early script and loved it so much she asked the team to stop sending her further drafts. She also mentioned that the version she read included certain elements from the books that hadn’t appeared in the earlier films.
More than two decades after the last film, fans are still waiting for an official release date, cast confirmations beyond Anne Hathaway, or a clearer sense of when production will actually begin. For now, Hathaway’s update offers the clearest sign yet that the long delayed threequel is finally moving in the right direction, even if the wait isn’t over just yet.
Read More:
- Spotlight: Making Injustice Heard in a World of Untouchable Power
- Harry Potter and the Question Every Reboot Must Answer
- Good Films Are Often Bad Experiences
- Top 10 Sequels That Elevated Cinema: When Hollywood Got Better the Second Time
- How much does responsibility seep into filmmaking? Or does it at all?