“Me? A princess? Shut up!” More than two decades later, Mia Thermopolis is officially preparing to return to Genovia.
Disney delivered a royal surprise during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event when Anne Hathaway took the stage to talk about the long-awaited The Princess Diaries 3, and give fans in attendance a world-exclusive first look at the upcoming movie.
Hathaway confirmed that the team is still hard at work on the third installment, thanked fans for keeping their love for Mia alive all these years, and even referenced a couple of lines that Princess Diaries fans have probably been quoting at her since 2001.
And while there are still plenty of questions surrounding our next trip to Genovia, this was one of our biggest updates on The Princess Diaries 3 yet.
Yes, Anne Hathaway is officially returning as Mia Thermopolis.
Hathaway surprised the D23 crowd during Friday night’s Disney Entertainment Showcase, ahead of another big weekend moment for the actress: she is set to be honored as a Disney Legend during Sunday’s Disney Legends Awards Ceremony.
And she certainly knew her audience.
“Me? A princess? Shut up!” appeared as part of her introduction before Hathaway addressed fans and offered an update on the long-awaited sequel.
Hathaway said the team is “working hard” on The Princess Diaries 3 and thanked fans for continuing to embrace the movies all these years.
She even joked about two of the franchise’s most enduring lines, telling fans to keep reciting their favorites to her because she still can’t spell “Gabbana”—and has learned to love being told to “shut up.”
Twenty-five years after the first movie, apparently, some things never change.
D23 Guests Got the First Look at ‘The Princess Diaries 3’
This was the biggest surprise of the presentation. Hathaway didn’t simply show up to tell everyone the movie was still happening. Disney showed world-exclusive first footage from The Princess Diaries 3 to the D23 audience.
That makes the D23 presentation a pretty significant milestone for a sequel that has spent years slowly making its way through development.
Unfortunately for those of us who weren’t inside the Honda Center, Disney has not publicly released that footage, so we’re not going to pretend we know more about it than we actually do.
For now, the important takeaway is that audiences have officially gotten their first glimpse at Mia’s next chapter—and Disney is continuing to move forward with the movie.
Why Has ‘The Princess Diaries 3’ Taken So Long?
Fans have been asking for another Princess Diaries movie for a LONG time.
The original The Princess Diaries arrived in 2001 and introduced audiences to awkward San Francisco teenager Mia Thermopolis, whose life changed rather dramatically when she discovered she was heir to the throne of the fictional kingdom of Genovia.
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement followed in 2004, ending with Mia becoming Queen of Genovia.
That means more than two decades will have passed between the second and third installments by the time the new movie finally reaches theaters.
Hathaway addressed that lengthy wait at D23, explaining that she and the creative team are working hard to do justice to both Mia and the story.
That’s also consistent with what Hathaway has said about the movie’s development previously. Earlier this year, she explained that the project had not yet received its final greenlight and that the creative team was continuing to work on getting it right.
Julie Andrews Will NOT Return as Queen Clarisse
Unfortunately, there’s one familiar face we now know won’t be making the trip back to Genovia. Julie Andrews has confirmed she will not return as Queen Clarisse Renaldi in The Princess Diaries 3.
Andrews starred alongside Hathaway in both previous films as Mia’s formidable (but ultimately loving) grandmother, Queen Clarisse.
The Disney Legend explained that she believes the story should now continue with Mia, rather than bringing Clarisse back after so much time has passed.
Considering Royal Engagement ended with Clarisse stepping aside and Mia becoming queen, the third movie now has an opportunity to explore just how much our formerly reluctant princess has changed since taking the throne.
Exactly what that story looks like, however, remains under wraps.
A New Director Is Taking Us Back to Genovia
There will also be a new filmmaker behind the camera.
Adele Lim is directing The Princess Diaries 3. Lim’s previous credits include writing Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon and Crazy Rich Asians, along with directing Joy Ride.
The first two Princess Diaries movies were directed by the late Garry Marshall, who died in 2016.
When Lim’s involvement was announced in 2024, she described herself as a longtime fan of the franchise and expressed excitement about celebrating themes of female power, joy, and mentorship with audiences around the world.
Beyond Hathaway, however, Disney hasn’t yet announced a complete returning cast.
So if you’re waiting to find out whether Chris Pine’s Nicholas Devereaux is coming back, you’ll have to keep waiting. Pine previously said he didn’t know whether he would be involved in the sequel, and Disney has yet to confirm his return.
When Does ‘The Princess Diaries 3’ Come Out?
Here’s the part we unfortunately still don’t know. Disney has not announced a release date for The Princess Diaries 3. But D23 certainly gave fans a reason to feel more optimistic.
Anne Hathaway is back. She’s talking about the movie on Disney’s biggest stage. And, most importantly, Disney now has enough of the project to show audiences their first footage.
Twenty-five years after we watched Mia Thermopolis discover she was secretly a princess, it looks like we’re finally getting closer to finding out what happened after she became queen.
Now, about that Chris Pine announcement…
Keep checking back with Theme Park Scope for the latest D23 announcements, The Princess Diaries 3 news, casting updates, trailers, release dates, and everything new coming from Disney Entertainment.
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