Julie Andrews is confirming that she will not appear in Princess Diaries 3.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter alongside her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton about their new children’s book Shy, the actress explained why she doesn’t see herself returning for the third film with Anne Hathaway.
“I think the absolute truth is that I think I’m really past all that now,” Andrews told THR. “I’m not completely retired, but it’s a different kind of work that I do these days — [writing] books, and I do a lot of recording of podcasts and voiceovers. But truly, I don’t think I should be a part of it.”
Though Andrews says it’s “still lovely to be working on things,” she prefers not doing work “necessarily on camera.”
“It isn’t that I’m not enthusiastic for it. It’s just that I really don’t feel I should be part of it now,” she explained.
When asked what she’d like to see the third film explore, Andrews said she wasn’t sure but noted Hathaway is older now too from the second film.
“Actually don’t know. I think it proceeds from the second Princess Diaries. It moves on, but by now Annie too is a little older than she was when she did it. I’m interested to see what Meg [Cabot] and Annie and everybody comes up with,” she said.
The original Princess Diaries film recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. When asked what surprises her the most about its longevity all these years later, Andrews told THR, “I’ve not really given it thought that way. I mean, I’m thrilled, and it was well-made by dear Garry Marshall, who was the sweetest director you could imagine and funny and talented and considerate. So it was a very enjoyable film to make.”
It was announced in 2024 that a third film will see Anne Hathaway reprise her role as Mia Thermopolis, Queen of Genovia. For the third installment, Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians, Joy Ride) will direct the feature. Debra Martin Chase, one of the producers of the original, returns to produce. Naia Cucukov, who is Lim’s producing partner, is an executive producer, as is Melissa Stack.
“The fairy tale continues,” Hathaway wrote on her Instagram back when the third film was initially announced.
“I read a script, and it was amazing. I told them not to send anymore, because I love it so much,” Princess Diaries author Cabot told THR of the film. “They don’t like it when you tell people what’s gonna happen yet. So I was like, ‘Better not send me any more scripts!’”
Despite the third film being recently announced, Cabot told THR that discussions to return to The Princess Diaries universe never really stopped: “It has been in discussions for a really long time. There have been a lot of scripts, and I think this one that I most recently read is my favorite. Fingers crossed that’s the one they’re going to use, but it’s a really fun idea, and I’m 100 percent behind it.”
During a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy, Hathaway was asked by host Andy Cohen for an update on the film. However, she confirmed things have paused amid her pregnancy.
“I’m busy making baby No. 3 and that has sort of taken the place of knowing exactly when I can make Princess Diaries 3,” Hathaway said. “But I can say I think we had a story breakthrough. 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.”
