It’s been 23 years (I can’t believe it either) since The Princess Diaries hit theaters and audiences fell in love with Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis and Dame Julie Andrews as Queen Clarisse Rinaldi of Genovia. Because the movie and its sequel, Royal Engagement, have been a huge part of many childhoods, fans have been waiting anxiously for news of a third rendition. While there have been some rumors regarding how soon it might happen, Andrews has now provided some honest thoughts on the possibility, and they may be disappointing to many.
The House of Mouse is definitely no stranger to sequels, and a few of them are among the upcoming Disney movies releasing this year. With that, one would think that the studio would be eager to revive one of its most popular IPs of the 21st century. Yet Julie Andrews, who has never been one to sugarcoat topics in her interviews, got honest about the chances of it happening while speaking to Today. When discussing the matter, which she’s been asked about “so many times,” she had the following to say:
Ah, I have been asked that so many times. … There was dialogue about it. … Nothing had been realized. And I think I may be wrong, but I think it’s been shelved now. I can’t be sure.
Well, that’s definitely a bummer. These comments come several years after the hopeful update Anne Hathaway gave back in 2019. She talked about how “there is a script for the third movie” and that she, Julie Andrews and their producer all want it to happen, but that it has to be perfect. And, in 2022, it was reported that The Princess Diaries 3 would likely be happening. It was also shared that Andrews wasn’t tied to the movie at that time, and it’s still unclear if the two stars would be involved at all if a sequel does come to fruition.
The Mary Poppins icon did provide more insight to this, giving her opinion on what might happen in the future should the franchise continue. And, based on what she said, continuing with a third movie may not be the only option that would be considered. She said:
I’m sure there will be another version on another day. It’s quite a long time now since the two ‘Diaries’ were done, and I’m not sure, but sometimes it’s best to leave a good thing alone. I don’t like it when people milk and milk and milk the subject, you know, ’til it’s dead. I’d be very happy if we did do another one. But I don’t expect to.
If there were to be a new version, that means there’s an opportunity to build an even bigger fanbase around an entirely new cast and storyline. But, if creators continued with the original franchise, which many consider to be two of the best Disney movies, they’d be able to show how Mia’s life turned out after she took the throne as Queen of Genovia. Theoretically, there could also be updates on relationship with Lord Nicholas Devereaux, what happened with the children’s home she opened and more. It’s a tough toss up but, as the future is unclear, we can only wait to see what ends up happening.
While this does seem like a step backwards from previous news, just the fact that Dame Julie Andrews and other members of the Princess Diaries cast would be down to make a sequel is enough for me to keep my fingers crossed. In the meantime, all we can do is be patient and keep believing that miracles happen once in a while.
You can watch both Princess Diaries movies with a Disney+ subscription. With it, you can also catch both Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews in other movies featured on the platform.