Anne Hathaway reacts to Julie Andrews’ absence from ‘The Princess Diaries 3’ and shares major new updates on the highly anticipated film.
The Princess Diaries 3 is continuing to move forward, but it will do so without one of the key figures who helped turn the franchise into a generational phenomenon. Julie Andrews, unforgettable as Queen Clarisse Renaldi, has confirmed that she will not appear in the third instalment, a decision Anne Hathaway, who is set to reprise her role as Mia Thermopolis, has now publicly addressed.
The actress discussed the news during her appearance at D23, making it clear that the door remains open should Andrews change her mind. At the same time, Hathaway stressed that everyone involved in the film wants to fully respect the legendary actress’s decision.
“First of all, I just want to say if she has a change of heart, we’re down,” Hathaway explained. “But we also want to be respectful. For goodness’ sake, if anybody has contributed to the world of entertainment and to our collective joy, it’s her. Whatever she wants, we completely understand. We did push really hard to see if she would want to do it.”
Her absence represents a significant change for a franchise in which the relationship between Mia and Queen Clarisse has always played a central role. Andrews appeared in both The Princess Diaries, released in 2001, and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which arrived in cinemas in 2004.
Her character not only taught Mia the rules she needed to become the Princess of Genovia, but also served as a mentor and grandmother to a young woman suddenly forced to adapt to an entirely different life.
More than two decades later, the third film will have to find a new formula to recapture that world while allowing its characters to reflect the years that have passed. That combination of nostalgia and reinvention appears to be among Hathaway’s main priorities for the project.
“I just want it to be fun. The women who were six when the first one came out — a lot of whom are now mothers themselves, maybe even with six-year-olds — I want them to feel like they’re bringing their children to something that mattered to them,” she said.
Her comments offer an important clue about the direction The Princess Diaries 3 could take. The intention does not appear to be simply reviving a familiar film property, but rather creating a movie capable of connecting with the audiences who grew up alongside Mia while simultaneously introducing her world to a new generation.
Development of the sequel, however, has been going through significant creative changes. Hathaway recently revealed that the team had achieved what she described as a “story breakthrough”, although reaching that point meant reconsidering much of the work that had already been completed.
“I can say I think we had a story breakthrough,” the actress explained in July. “I think we are moving in the right direction. The script that we were working on… we kind of had to start over with this new direction, which is not the update I think anybody wants, but we all feel really good that this is gonna be the one.”
The revelation confirms that The Princess Diaries 3 script remains a crucial part of the process before production can take its next major steps. Rather than rushing the sequel to capitalise on the enormous anticipation surrounding Mia Thermopolis’ return, the creative team appears determined to find a story that genuinely justifies bringing The Princess Diaries back after more than two decades.
