The Princess Diaries 3 is Officially Happening! What We Know About Anne Hathaway's Return to Genovia

It's been nearly two years since the announcement of The Princess Diaries 3, and updates are finally coming in!

Fans have been yearning for a third installment since The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement hit theaters in 2004. However, as time passed, the prospect seemed dim—especially following the passing of director Garry Marshall in 2016.

IMDb

Hope was reignited in 2019 when Anne Hathaway revealed that she and Julie Andrews were eager to revive the beloved relationship between the awkward teen princess Mia Thermopolis and her regal grandmother, Clarisse Marie Grimaldi Renaldo. “I want to do it; Julie wants to do it; Debra Martin Chase, our producer, wants to do it,” Hathaway shared during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live. “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.”

When The Hollywood Reporter revealed in November 2022 that a third film was in development at Disney+, Hathaway's return was not immediately confirmed. Yet, it’s hard to picture the sequel without the true princess of Genovia—now, we can put those worries to rest. Here’s everything we know about The Princess Diaries 3.

Anne Hathaway is Returning to Genovia

On October 4, Hathaway shared the exciting news on her social media accounts. Using the song “Miracles Happen (When You Believe),” she posted clips from the original movie, adding her own enthusiastic “shut up!”

In her post, she wrote, “Miracles happen ✨👑 Back to Genovia with @Disney Studios & @Somewhere Pictures. The fairy tale continues ❤️‍🔥.” This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as she hinted at her participation back in April, stating in an interview with V Magazine, “We’re in a good place. There’s nothing to announce yet. But we’re in a good place.”

Who Else Is Involved?

When the announcement of the threequel was made, it was disclosed that Debra Martin Chase would return as producer. Although initial reports suggested Aadrita Mukerji (known for Scorpion, Supergirl, Reacher) had written the script, Variety has now confirmed that Flora Greeson (The High Note) will be penning The Princess Diaries 3.

Additionally, on October 4, Variety announced that Adele Lim has been chosen to direct. Lim, known for her work on Joy Ride, Crazy Rich Asians, and Raya and the Last Dragon, expressed her excitement: “As a diehard fan of the original Princess Diaries, I’m beyond excited to be a part of bringing the third iteration of this beloved franchise to life. We look forward to celebrating its core tenets of female power, joy, and mentorship with audiences worldwide.”

Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

That’s a great question! At the end of Princess Diaries 2, we saw Mia share a kiss with Genovian aristocrat Nicholas, portrayed by Chris Pine. When the threequel was still in its early development phase in May 2024, Pine expressed his curiosity, telling Entertainment Weekly, “‘Princess Diaries 3, where is it?’ Have you been reading my diary? I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything about it.” He added, “You know, like, what it would be? It would be like a Luca Guadagnino film, [he] directs Princess Diaries 3. Now that is f---ing fire.”

Following the official announcement of TPD3, Pine reiterated his lack of information. During an appearance on The Today Show, he said, “I don’t know anything,” according to Variety, and added, “Call Disney! Call Bob Iger!” When asked about his potential return, he avoided giving a clear answer, stating, “The answer is I’ve gotta see…I don’t know anything about it. I think it’s fantastic.”

Oh, come on. He knows more than he’s letting on!

Walt Disney Productions/Alamy Stock Photo

The status of Julie Andrews remains uncertain. Although Andrews lends her voice to Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton, she hasn’t appeared on screen since 2017. In December 2022, she remarked, “I think we know that it’s probably not going to be possible.” She added, “It was talked about very shortly after [the second sequel] 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.”

Andrews also mentioned to Entertainment Weekly in 2022 that she was hesitant to return to the franchise due to Marshall’s absence.