Princess Diaries 3 reportedly in development by Disney: will Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews return?

Thank you for being here today...we’re just as excited as you that Princess Diaries 3 has been officially confirmed by Disney.

Princess Diaries fans have finally had the news we have all been waiting for, since reports surfaced that a third film is in development at Disney. The films starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews saw global success with fans begging for a third film over 20 years after the first movie was released.

The film franchise is based on the Meg Cabot novel series and follows the story of American teenager Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway). Following a reconnection with her estranged grandmother (Andrews), Mia learns that she is heir to the throne of a small European country, our beloved Genovia.

Mia embarks on ‘princess lessons’ under the supervision of Genovia’s queen and her grandmother. The wholesome tail shows her journey on whether she wishes to inherit or reject the throne. What’s not to love?

The first and second films were released in 2001 and 2004 respectively, and fans are buzzing with the news that a third film is officially in development at Disney, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Throughout the years there have been rumours of a potential sequel but much to our dismay nothing ever came of it.

And after patiently waiting it seems millennials will be getting the ultimate nostalgia hit that they have been waiting years for. So, what do we know about Princess Diaries 3? Here’s a breakdown of all the information and whether or not Hathaway and Andrews will return to their iconic roles.

When will The Princess Diaries 3 be released?

As this news of the development of a third film is fairly new it means we do not yet have an exact release date so fans will have to wait impatiently, fear not though, we have you covered with all the latest updates.

Who will be in the cast of The Princess Diaries 3?

The project is still in the very early stages of development so the cast has not yet been announced. This means that we don’t know whether original actors like Anne Hathway and Julie Andrews will return.

Anne Hathaway has been vocal about wanting to return to the franchise in the past though which gives us hope she will return a third time. In 2019, Hathaway told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live back that there was even a script for the third movie.

Heather Matarazzo, Anne Hathaway, and Mandy Moore in The Princess Diaries (2001) (Photo: Disney)

Recently, she told Entertainment Tonight that she was "pulling for it", and that she "would more than entertain it". She added: "If there’s any way to get Julie Andrews involved, I think we would make it work. We would go to where she was and put a green screen behind her and just make it happen.”

One piece of heartbreaking news we do know is that it is likely Julie Andrews won’t return as Queen Clarisse Renaldi. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter to mark her AFI Life Achievement Award, she said: "I think it would be too late to do it now.

“Especially me, it’s too far down the line now to go back to it. It’s a lovely thought, but I don’t think it would probably be possible." Another star who was in the franchise is This is Us actress Mandy Moore, who appeared on The Drew Barrymore show in August and said “she would be game” to return to her character as the school bully Lana Thomas.

Who is working on The Princess Diaries 3?

The Hollywood Reporter said that Aadrita Mukerji, whose credits include Supergirl and Quantum Leap is writing the script. The outlet also said that Debra Martin Chase, who produced the first two films, would return to produce the third film.