It’s been 20 years in the making, but we’re finally getting the 3rd instalment in The Princess Diaries movies. Anne Hathaway, who many of us might know as Queen Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, announced on Instagram that The Princess Diaries 3 is happening at long last. After all, a queen is never late, everyone else is simply early. Here’s what we know about the sequel so far:
As of today, the only thing we know about The Princess Diaries 3 is that Anne Hathaway is returning as Mia. There’s no word yet on whether Dame Julie Andrews will be reprising her role as Mia’s grandmother, Clarisse Renaldi, or whether any former cast members will return However, we’re holding out hope that Chris Pine—who proposed to Mia at the end of The Princess Diaries 2—will return to Genovia as Lord Nicholas Devereaux.
The Princess Diaries 3 will be directed by Adele Lim, who made her directorial debut with the comedy Joy Ride and wrote the screenplay for Crazy Rich Asians. “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,” she said in the announcement of the film. “We look forward to celebrating its core tenants of female power, joy and mentorship with audiences worldwide.”
Besides Anne, another OG coming on board for The Princess Diaries 3 is producer Debra Martin Chase, who was the one who first pitched the idea to Disney after reading the eponymous novel. So you needn’t worry if you have any doubts about how faithful this 3rd iteration of this iconic movie series will be.
It’s been 20 years since Queen Amelia Thermopolis was coronated, and we don’t fault you if you can’t remember what else happened. Here’s a quick refresher on what went down in The Princess Diaries 1 and 2 if you can’t remember.
In The Princess Diaries 1, Mia was still completely clueless about her blue blood lineage and that her grandmother was Julie Andrews in disguise. After Paolo, the sassy Italian stylist leaks to the press that she is a princess, her life turns upside down as she has to struggle between her old life as regular ol’ Mia and her new life as Princess Amelia. But then she discovers a letter her late father wrote her, and she decides to take up the mantle of becoming a full-time princess.
In The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, Mia graduates from Princeton and heads to Genovia to celebrate her 21st birthday. Unfortunately, she only has 30 days to find a husband or she’ll risk losing her crown once her grandmother abdicates. Mia’s rival-to-the-throne, Lord Devereaux, attempts to rizz her up in a plot to sabotage her nuptials but has the tables turned on him and falls in love with her instead. In the end, Queen Clarice finds her true love with her head of security Joseph, and retires in peace knowing that her granddaughter has taken over her reign.
One thing that the OG Princess Diaries films did well was how they clearly depicted the various stages of Mia’s life and how she grows. In the first film, she was coming into her own after discovering that she was a princess. In the second film, Mia finds her footing as the queen-to-be.
All of that happened when Anne Hathaway was still an up-and-coming actor in her early 20s. Two decades on, she’s in another phase of her life with 2 kids and a 12-year-strong marriage. The Princess Diaries 3 could be an exploration of Queen Amelia settling down and reigning over Genovia, as Anne has previously mentioned in interviews how she gravitates towards projects that she can relate to.
Either way, those of us who grew up watching The Princess Diaries will definitely be looking forward to what Anne and Adele cook up in the studios.
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This article was written by Josiah Neo.
All images courtesy of Disney.
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