The Princess Diaries 3 Cast: Who’s Returning After Julie Andrews’ Exit

Anne Hathaway? A princess? Shut up! Well, she absolutely is, at least in The Princess Diaries franchise. And she has confirmed that she will be returning as Mia Thermopolis, Queen of Genovia, in the third movie. During an April interview with Entertainment Weekly, while promoting The Devil Wears Prada 2, she said, “the intention is to make Princess Diaries hopefully next,” but at the time, she stressed that the threequel “is not greenlit or confirmed yet.” But in June, author Meg Cabot, on whose books the franchise is based, revealed to THR, “I read a script, and it was amazing.” Crazy Rich Asians’ Adele Lim will direct the film, which is a perfect choice. 

Chris Pine made his debut in the sequel as Lord Nicholas Devereaux, who was a rival-turned-love interest for Anne Hathaway’s Mia Thermopolis. And fans will get to see more of their banter. In May 2024, Pine, regarding his return to the franchise, told Access Hollywood, “I’ll wait for that call whenever it comes.” And came the call! That’s because, in April, author Meg Cabot herself revealed at BookCon that, “Chris Pine, obviously, is in it. Although he says he’s not, but he is,” as quoted by Cosmopolitan.

The Princess Diaries fans may recognize Robert Schwartzman from the first movie. In it, he portrayed Michael Moscovitz, Lilly’s brother and Mia’s love interest. Michael and Mia even shared a kiss in the royal garden, which hinted that the plot was heading toward the best friend’s brother trope. But in the sequel, the script was flipped, and he did not appear at all. Mia called him “just a friend” while he was busy touring with his band. But, in 2022, he shared with Variety that, “If your question is, ‘Would you do it if they brought back The Princess Diaries and its original cast and continued telling that story? Would I be a part of that journey?’ Yes.” Then, in April, author Meg Cabot confirmed at BookCon that, “Robert Schwartzman’s in it.” Bringing back the first love interest, along with the guy you are currently with, is a recipe for a love triangle.

Mandy Moore played the high school cheerleader and popular mean girl, Lana Thomas, who was always ready to bully Mia and mock her. Moore did not appear in the second movie, but that doesn’t mean she won’t be in the upcoming one. In 2022, on The Drew Barrymore Show, she expressed interest in returning. In her words, “People have asked me if I would be a part of the film. I kind of feel like my character was sort of the nemesis to Anne Hathaway’s character in the first film, and she was so mean, I feel like maybe there’s no place for her.” And when Barrymore asked about a possible “redemption” arc, she responded, “Exactly. Redemption, like she’s done a 180, she’s turned her life around and she and Mia become really good friends. So, I would be game.”

And who can forget Sandra Oh as the iconic Vice Principal Geraldine Gupta? Like Mandy Moore, she was part of the original Princess Diaries, but not the sequel. Still, she delivered plenty of iconic moments in the first film, and she may be ready to bring more of her charm in the next one. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly in a 2023 interview, she noted, “I am ready for the Queen. Call me! I’m dying to see how Gupta has moved up in the world.” Though fans will have to wait for official word. 

Heather Matarazzo is also expected to return after starring in both previous films. She is Mia’s witty, a little quirky, and a very outspoken friend, Lilly Moscovitz. Fans can never forget the name of her cable-access show, which she hosted: Shut Up and Listen. Yes, that was the title. In 2019, a report from Elle revealed that Matarazzo was “open” to being in Princess Diaries 3. But that was in 2019, and now it is 2026. Considering there has been no report about her return, nor has she herself hinted at it since then, her comeback seems to be hanging in the balance, and it could go either way. 

When Geraldine Gupta said, “The Queen is coming,” we believed her. But oh! She’s actually not coming. Julie Andrews, who played Queen Clarisse Renaldi in the first two films, recently confirmed to InStyle magazine that, “I think I probably passed... I think I’m retired, really, would be about the best description for that. [The film’s creative team] asked me all last year if I would be keen to do it. It was very, very hard to say ‘no,’ but I did because I thought I had a wonderful ride, and this one I felt would flourish very well and wouldn’t need Granny going in there at my age.” She will absolutely be missed in the threequel.