The Princess Diaries 3: Is Everyone Coming Back to Genovia?

Two decades after the release of The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, we learned that a third movie was officially progressing at Disney with Adele Lim directing.

Since the happy news, one star has confirmed that they will be retuning to Genovia. However, talk of a third movie has circulated for years now. In that time, many other franchise stars have addressed a potential comeback.

Confirmed Returns

Anne Hathaway confirmed her return to the franchise with a playful video on her Instagram account. The video, set to the song “Shut Up” by the Black Eyed Peas, had Hathaway holding up three fingers and saying “Shut Up” to the camera, followed by a screenshot of the news announcement. The video was captioned, “Miracles happen… Back to Genovia. The fairytale continues.”

Stars Who Expressed Interest

Mandy Moore played Lana Thomas, Mia’s main rival at school in the first movie. Moore told Entertainment Weekly last year that she “loved playing Lana… I had a great time.” In an interview with People magazine, Moore said “I think it would be a really fun time to revisit that, to check in with where these characters are in their lives now. But it would have to be good, you know? And it would have to be right.” She added, “We’re all older now. The stakes are higher, things are more complex.”

Sandra Oh played Vice Principal Gupta in the first Princess Diaries film. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2022, Oh stated, “I am ready for the queen. Call me! I’m dying to see how Gupta has moved up in the world.”

Chris Pine played Nicholas Devereaux, Mia’s love interest in the second Princess Diaries movie. Pine was asked by a fan at an Entertainment Weekly Q&A, “Don’t you pray every night for a Princess Diaries 3?” Pine replied, “Have you been reading my diary?” The reply suggests he would be interested in a potential sequel.

Stars Who Are Unsure

Julie Andrews, who played Mia’s grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi, was asked by Access Hollywood if she would reprise her role in the third film. Andrews replied, “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.”

The Next Chapter of Genovia

The first two Princess Diaries films were based on Meg Cabot’s popular young adult novels. The series has produced a multitude of books, including a prequel, The Princess Diaries: The Royal Wedding, and The Quarantine Princess Diaries, which were published in 2023. Although the films deviated from the books, the newest installment could follow the lead of Cabot’s works to discover a new chapter for Mia Thermopolis.

The Future of the Franchise

The news of a third film has prompted fans to speculate on what the future holds for the franchise. The cast has aged significantly since the original films, but the characters are not out of the realm of possibility. With the film in the early stages of production, the possibility of new cast members is a sure bet. The possibilities are endless for the future of the franchise.

A Royal Farewell?

With so many stars still excited about the possibility of returning to Genovia, it looks like the third Princess Diaries film is in for a royal farewell. The film does not have an official release date yet, but fans can expect to see a new chapter of Genovia soon.