‘The Princess Diaries 3’: Everything We Know About Anne Hathaway’s Return to Genovia

It’s been nearly two years since The Princess Diaries 3 was first announced, and we finally have some updates!

While fans of the beloved franchise have been clamoring for a third film since The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement was released in 2004, the prospect seemed unlikely as years went boy—especially following the death of director Garry Marshall in 2016.

It was Anne Hathaway renewed hope in 2019, announcing she and Julie Andrews were down to rekindle the iconic dynamic between awkward teen princess Mia Thermopolis and her regal grandmother Clarisse Marie Grimaldi Renaldo. “I want to do it; Julie wants to do it; Debra Martin Chase, our producer, wants to do it,” she said on Watch What Happens Live. “We all really want it to happen. It’s just we don’t want to do it unless it’s perfect, because we love it just as much as you guys love it.”

However, when The Hollywood Reporter reported that a third film was in the works at Disney+ in November 2022, Hathaway’s return was not officially confirmed. Of course, it’s impossible to imagine the threequel without the true Princess of Genovia—and now we don’t have to. Here’s everything we know about The Princess Diaries 3.

Anne Hathaway is returning to Genovia. On October 4, Hathway confirmed the exciting news on social media. Set to the track“Miracles Happen (When You Believe),” Hathaway posted some clips from the original film before adding her own “shut up!”

She captioned the post, “Miracles happen ✨👑 Back to Genovia with @Disney Studios & @Somewhere Pictures. The fairy tale continues ❤️‍🔥”

Of course, this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. She hinted at her involvement back in April, telling V Magazine, “We’re in a good place. There’s nothing to announce yet. But we’re in a good place.”

Who else is involved? When the threequel was first announced, it was revealed that Debra Martin Chase would be returning to the franchise as a producer. While original reports claimed Aadrita Mukerji (Scorpion, Supergirl, Reacher) had penned a script, Variety now reports that Princess Diaries 3 will be written by Flora Greeson (The High Note).

On October 4, Variety also revealed that Adele Lim has been tapped to direct. Lim is a writer/producer known for Joy Ride, Crazy Rich Asians, Raya and the Last Dragon. “As a diehard 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,” Lim said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating its core tenants of female power, joy and mentorship with audiences worldwide.”

What abour Julie Andrews? TBD. While Andrews voices Lady Whistledown on Bridgerton, the 89-year-old actor has not appeared on screen since 2017. “I think we know that it’s probably not going to be possible,” Andrews told Access Hollywood in December 2022. “It was talked about very shortly after [the second sequel] 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.”

What about everyone else? It’s unclear if Heather Matarazzo, Robert Schwartzman, Chris Pine, or Mandy Moore will return to the franchise, though Moore doesn’t think high school bully Lana Thomas should make an appearance without some sort of redemption arc.