Just over 20 years ago, Disney introduced us to Mia Thermopolis — an awkward teenager whose life was thrown on its head when she learned that her grandmother was queen of a country called Genovia, and she was a princess who was in line to take the throne in the film The Princess Diaries. The Princess Diaries starred Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis and Julie Andrews as her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi. The Princess Diaries came out in 2001 and was so popular that Disney came out with a sequel in 2004 — The Princess Diaries 2; Royal Engagement.
Since the sequel’s 2004 release, there have been rumors swirling about a third movie to wrap everything up. Disney never confirmed that a third movie was in the works, but the rumors refused to die. Sadly, it looks like one of the film’s stars has confirmed that, as much as people may want it, a third movie is just not going to happen.
Disney legend, Julie Andrews, recently sat down for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter and was asked about a possible Princess Diaries 3. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Andrews made the following statement:
I think it would be too late to do it now. There was talk of a sequel many, many years ago. But I don’t think it ever came to pass. And Garry then did leave us. [Marshall died in 2016.] [For] especially me, it’s too far down the line now to go back to it. It’s a lovely thought, but I don’t think it would probably be possible.
Before he passed away in 2016, director Garry Marshall told the press that he had spoken to Anne Hathaway about the possibility of doing a third movie, and Anne was interested in continuing Mia’s story. Then, in 2019, Hathaway did an interview on Watch What Happens, Live!, and revealed to host Andy Cohen that there was even a Princess Diaries 3 script.
In 2020, Andrews said that she would be up for a third movie as well. There is no word on whether other stars in the two movies — like Heather Matarazzo, who played Mia’s best friend Lily or Chris Pine, who played Mia’s love interest in the second film — would be interested in returning for a third film as well.
Andrews is currently hard at work on the Netflix show Bridgerton, where she voices the incomparable Lady Whistledown.