The Princess Diaries 3: Release Details, Anne Hathaway Returning, plot, Who’s Directing, & Everything we know so far

Great news for fans of the Princess Diaries franchise: Anne Hathaway has officially confirmed that The Princess Diaries 3 is in the works, and we're excited to watch it finally! Hathaway broke the news on Instagram. In the video she shared, Hathaway counted to three, showing clips of her younger self as Mia Thermopolis and Julie Andrews as Queen Clarisse Renaldi, both saying the iconic “Shut up!”

The coming-of-age movie The Princess Diaries is about Mia Thermopolis, a shy American teenager who finds out she's the heir to a European kingdom's throne. With help from her estranged grandmother, who is the queen, she has to decide if she wants to be the heir or not.

In this article, we will tell you everything we know right now about the third installment of The Princess Diaries. This includes release details, who's joining the cast, details about the plot, who's directing the movie, the team behind the scenes, and more. We will regularly update this article with new information as and when it becomes available, so stay tuned.

Release date & Where to Watch

We don't have a release date yet, but we do know that Disney will begin shooting the movie next year (2025).

Who Will Be in The Princess Diaries 3?

Hathaway (One Day, The Devil Wears Prada) confirmed that she will be returning to star in the movie. She wrote on Instagram, "Miracles happen ✨👑 Back to Genovia with @adeleblim @disney @somewherepictures. The fairy tale continues ❤️‍🔥"

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A post shared by Anne Hathaway (@annehathaway)

Sadly, in 2022, Julie Andrews (Bridgerton, The Sound of Music) had hinted that she wouldn't be involved in the third film. She said, "I think we know that it’s probably not going to be possible. It was talked about very shortly after two 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." However, Hathaway really wanted to get her back in the film, saying, "If there’s any way to get Julie Andrews involved, I think we could make it work. We would go to where she was and put a green screen behind her and just make it happen."

Actors who have expressed interest in reprising their roles include Mandy Moore (This is Us, A Walk to Remember), who played mean girl Lana, and Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, Grey's Anatomy), who played Vice Principal Gupta. Last year, she told Entertainment Weekly, "I am ready for the queen. Call me! I’m dying to see how Gupta has moved up in the world."

Chris Pine (Star Trek, Poolman), who played Hathaway's love interest, was asked during a fan Q&A, "Don’t you pray every night for a Princess Diaries 3?" to which he replied, "Have you been reading my diary?"

Plot

We don't have an official plot synopsis just yet. In the last Princess Diaries movie in 2004, Mia Thermopolis became the new queen of Genovia, while her grandmother stepped down to pursue a romance with her bodyguard Joe. Although the plot of the movies differs from Meg Cabot's original books, The Princess Diaries 3 could take inspiration from several books Cabot has written since then in the Princess Diaries universe, including the 12th installment, The Quarantine Princess Diaries (2023).

Who is Directing?

Adele Lim, known for Raya and the Last Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians, and Joy Ride, will be directing The Princess Diaries 3. In a statement, Lim said, "As a die-hard 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 tenants of female power, joy, and mentorship with audiences worldwide."

Behind the Scenes

In 2022, there were reports that a third Princess Diaries film was in the works, with screenwriter Aadrita Mukerji (Supergirl, Quantum Leap) and Debra Martin Chase, who also worked on the previous two installments. Chase is slated to executive-produce with Lim’s producing partners, Naia Cucukov and Melissa Stack. Flora Greeson will be writing the screenplay.