Anne Hathaway Is ‘Chipping Away at the Script’ for 'Princess Diaries 3'
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Amy Mackelden, Erica GonzalesTue, April 21, 2026 at 9:12 PM UTC
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It’s hard to believe that The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement arrived way back in August 2004. While the past 20 years have flown by for those of us who lived them, fans of the real-life fairytale franchise have never given up hope for a third Princess Diaries movie. The Hollywood Reporter revealed in October 2024 that the project will film, but as of 2026, filming has not begun.
Traction on a trilogy-making sequel has stalled—but has not stopped completely. Anne Hathaway, who played plucked-from-obscurity princess Mia Thermopolis, previously confirmed a script exists, and while she claimed to be on board for the film alongside co-star Julie Andrews as Queen Clarisse, there hadn’t been too many updates since. Disney also previously greenlit a new installment in November 2022, but Hathaway revealed in 2026 that she’s still writing the script and that the project lost its confirmation—though The Princess Diaries author Meg Cabot suggests otherwise.
As The Princess Diaries taught us, miracles happen once in a while if you believe. Ahead, here’s everything we know about the status of The Princess Diaries 3.
Disney signed on for a Princess Diaries 3 back in 2022.
Disney initially signed on to develop a third installment in late 2022, per The Hollywood Reporter. TV writer Aadrita Mukerji (Reacher, Supergirl) was announced as writer, with Debra Martin Chase, who produced the first two films, set to produce the new installment alongside Melissa Stack (The Other Woman).
Joy Ride’s Adele Lim was announced as the film’s director.
The Hollywood Reporter shared on Oct. 4, 2024 that Lim had been hired to helm the project. Hathaway would be expected to return, the outlet added, and Disney hoped to film the movie in 2025. (That did not ultimately come to fruition.)
Lim shared a statement to the outlet about her appointment: “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. We look forward to celebrating its core tenants of female power, joy and mentorship with audiences worldwide.”
Hathaway confirmed her participation in October 2024.
Also on Oct. 4, 2024, Hathaway shared a screenshot of the film announcement then some clips of herself from the film.
“Miracles happen,” she captioned the video. “Back to Genovia with @adeleblim @disney @somewherepictures. The fairy tale continues.”
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A potential plot was teased in August 2025.
On Aug. 21, 2025, Lim posted an open casting call for the role of Olivia, seeming to confirm that the newest installation would follow the events of Cabot’s 2015 book, The Princess Diaries, Volume XI: Royal Wedding.
The call claimed to be looking for a 15-year-old girl to play Olivia Robinson: “Smart, sarcastic, armored, and observant, Olivia Robinson wants to be left alone. After her mother passed away, she withdrew into herself, masking her sadness with caustic wit. But under her prickly exterior, Olivia’s natural warmth, compassion and courage to stand up to power is exactly what makes her a natural born leader. The only thing standing in the way is herself.”
In the book, Olivia is the half-sister of Mia Thermopolis from a secret relationship of her dad, Phillipe. Mia finds Olivia after her mother has passed away and fights for custody after discovering she is being mistreated by extended family members.
As of April 2026, Hathaway confirmed The Princess Diaries 3 is indeed still in the works.
In an April 2026 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Hathaway confirmed that she is “one hundred percent,” “constantly working” on The Princess Diaries 3. “[Devil Wears Prada 2] cropped up unexpectedly and took over the space,” she noted, adding that “it became impossible to focus on both at the same time.”
While the third film in the franchise “is not greenlit or confirmed yet,” Hathaway explained that “the intention is to make Princess Diaries hopefully next.” She knows that “everybody wants it,” so she and her team are “chipping away at the script.”
“If I learned anything from [Devil Wears Prada 2], it’s that expectations are very, very high, and if you’re going to do it, you have to knock it out of the park,” the actress added.
Cabot revealed that a castle has already been rented for the project.
The author confirmed that she has read a script for the movie, and a location for the film has already been picked out—everyone just needs to be available to film the project.
“I read the script,” she said during her April 2026 appearance at BookCon. “There is a part for everybody. Everybody has to show up and it’s going to be amazing. I don’t know when they’re going to film it because Annie Hathaway, as you’ve probably seen, is making a million movies right now, but one of these days, she’s going to go to the castle that we have actually rented and is sitting there waiting.”
Additional reporting by Savannah Walsh, Alyssa Bailey, and Starr Bowenbank.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
