Will Anne Hathaway be in 'Princess Diaries 3'? Director shares major update as she hints at 'fun returns'

Anne Hathaway was introduced as Mia Thermopolis in 'The Princess Diaries' when it premiered in 2001
Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis in 'The Princess Diaries 2' (Cover Image Source: Walt Disney Pictures | The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement)
Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis in 'The Princess Diaries 2' (Cover Image Source: Walt Disney Pictures | The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement)

Anne Hathaway is possibly one of the busiest actors in the world right now. She recently made heads turn, returning as Andy Sachs in 'Devil Wears Prada 2.' Her upcoming projects include ' The Odyssey,' 'Verity,' and ' The End of Oak Street.' Amidst such a vast slate of projects, she is now gearing up to reprise another one of her iconic roles, Mia Thermopolis. Hathaway played the character in 'The Princess Diaries,' which was released in 2001. She reprised the role in the 2004 sequel titled  'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.' A third movie is now in the pipeline, with Adele Lim set to direct. Recently, Lim attended the Gold Gala carpet and shared some interesting news about the third film, hinting that fans could expect some 'fun returns.'

A still from 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement' (@disney+)
A still from 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement' (Image Source: Disney+)

Lim, in a chat with Variety, shared that the production and filming schedule for the highly anticipated movie is still being worked out. She hinted that fans can expect Anne Hathaway to return as the now Queen of Genovia. "If you were a fan of the original first two movies, I think you can look forward to a lot of fun returns," she shared. While additional information about the cast has not been revealed yet, she shared some details about the filming location. "We’re going to be able to shoot in Europe and really show the audience Genovia in its full glory." Back in 2024, Hathaway confirmed her participation with an Instagram post. The post was captioned, "Miracles happen ✨👑 Back to Genovia with @adeleblim @disney @somewherepictures. The fairy tale continues." The video featured the actress reacting to the news that the movie was moving forward as she shared a clip from the movie where Mia learns she is royalty. 

Fans began wondering about Hathaway's involvement in the project as it had been a while since they received an update about the film. 'Devil Wears Prada 2', which was announced after 'The Princess Diaries 3', moving ahead increased the concerns. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hathaway revealed “[Devil Wears Prada 2] cropped up unexpectedly and took over the space.” She added that “it became impossible to focus on both at the same time.” However, the actress assured fans that she is “one hundred percent” working on 'The Princess Diaries 3'. “If I learned anything from [Devil Wears Prada 2], it’s that expectations are very, very high, and if you’re going to do it, you have to knock it out of the park,” the actress added.

Still of Mia from 'The Princess Diaries' (Image Source: Disney Movies)
Still of Mia from 'The Princess Diaries' (Image Source: Disney Movies)

Lim also backed Hathaway's intention during her Variety interview. “We just want to make the story right because it is a franchise that is so beloved by so many people,” she shared. The director also revealed that motherhood will play an important part in this threequel's treatment. She explained that many fans of the original have now become mothers, and she wants that change to be reflected in the title. “There are so many movies that are wish fulfilment for princesses, we don’t have a lot of wish fulfilment movies for queens. That’s what we are setting out to do here, to show a woman in her full power,” the director explained.

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