Earlier this week, the internet rejoiced when Anne Hathaway finally confirmed that she would be returning for the upcoming film Princess Diaries 3. Instantly, I felt a weight come off my shoulders. My inner tween began giggling and kicking her feet, ready to order a pizza with M&Ms and straighten my hair. But now that Miss Thing has confirmed her involvement, who else will be reprising their roles? Let’s investigate.
The Princess Diaries movie was released in 2001 and starred the likes of Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Mandy Moore and Sandra Oh just to name a few. Then, to my absolute delight as a nine-year-old, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement was released featuring a bunch of returning characters plus a soon-to-be heartthrob Chris Pine.
Now that The Princess Diaries 3 with Anne Hathaway has officially been confirmed, who else from the series has signed on for a return? I am praying that Fat Louie is alive and well and getting big cashola for the revival but let’s see who we can expect and what the cast have said about returning.
Which celebrities are reprising their roles for The Princess Diaries 3?
Chris Pine
Before Chris Pine captured hearts in the Star Trek reboot, he played the dashing Nicholas Deveraux. In the sequel, Mia and Nicholas had an enemies-to-lovers storyline before eventually ending up together. So, if they’re still together to this day, you’d hope that Chris Pine would be down to reprise his royal character.
However, it turns out that Pine wasn’t totally aware of the upcoming film.
“I don’t know anything,” Pine said on Today With Hoda & Jenna
“Call Disney! Call Bob Iger!”
“The answer is I’ve gotta see,” Pine added when pressed by the hosts.
“I don’t know anything about it. I think it’s fantastic.”
Speaking to Pop Verse, Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement antagonist John Rhys-Davies said that both he and Pine would be excited to return for a sequel. And according to the IMDb cast list, Pine’s name is present. Someone could be optimistically jumping the gun or know something we don’t.
Either way, if Mia is still with Nicholas, someone better get this man’s agent on the phone with the producers STAT! Or maybe Mia has found her way to her high school love interest Michael Moscovitz (Robert Schwartzman)…
Julie Andrews
Although Julie Andrews hasn’t publicly commented on whether she’ll be reprising her role as the beloved Queen Clarisse Renaldi, she did ponder whether another film in the series was a good idea.
“There was dialogue about it but nothing had been realised. I think I may be wrong, but I think it’s been shelved now. I can’t be sure,” Andrews told Today in April this year.
Thank god she was wrong.
While she said that she was “sure there will be another version on another day”, I don’t think she expected it to be so soon.
“It’s quite a long time now since the two ‘Diaries’ were done, and I’m not sure, but sometimes it’s best to leave a good thing alone. I don’t like it when people milk and milk and milk the subject, you know, ‘til it’s dead.
“I’d be very happy if we did do another one. But I don’t expect to.”
Fingers crossed Andrews isn’t too busy being the voice of Bridgerton‘s Lady Whistledown to bring the beloved Queen of Genovia back to our screens. After all, it wouldn’t feel right without her and her boo Joe (Hector Elizondo). Plus, Andrew’s name is also on the IMDb cast list for The Princess Diaries 3 so I am quietly hopeful.
Mandy Moore
In The Princess Diaries, Mandy Moore played the beautiful mean girl Lana who — if you remember — wore an ice cream cone after offending Mia. Incredible stuff.
It’s looking like we might be able to chant “Lana got coned!” all these years later after Mandy Moore hinted at her return on Instagram back in August.
“And just like that, The Princess Diaries turns a year older and a year sweeter!💫💘” she wrote.
“What a gift. And as I look through old photos, which brings back old memories, I realise how much I like the number 3…😅”
That’s a HINT! That’s got to be a HINT! What if Lana reconnected with MIa to apologise for how she treated her and then they became best buds?
Robert Schwartzman
I believe that it was Robert Schwartzman‘s portrayal of Michael Moscovitz that heavily influenced my track record of only dating musicians. Thankfully, the actor-turned-director said he’d be down to return to Princess Diaries 3 if the opportunity arises.
“If your question is, ‘Would you do it if they brought back The Princess Diaries and its original cast and continued telling that story? Would I be a part of that journey?’ Yes,” he told Variety in 2022.
“I mean, I’m on the journey any way I slice it. I was in the first film, and that character and that love interest and relationship had an impact on audiences. And I think that’s awesome. So Disney, if you’re listening, greenlight the next Princess Diaries.”
Heather Matarazzo
It would be hard to forget the unique tones of Mia’s best friend Lily Moscovitz played by Heather Matarazzo in both Princess Diaries movies.
Although Matarazzo has still been taking on acting, directing and voice-over roles, she made the decision to move away from Hollywood and live in Michigan with her wife Heather Turman. She frequently shares updates on her life and her upcoming projects on TikTok, where her comment section has been bombarded with fans eager to know if she’s making a return to the Princess Diaries franchise.
Most recently, Matarazzo revealed that she’s in Dublin filming the second season of Netflix’s Wednesday.
Sandra Oh
If there was one unlikely breakout hero of The Princess Diaries, it was school principal Gupta played by the impeccable Sandra Oh. Thankfully, Sandra Oh is more than ready for her call to come back to the franchise.
“I am ready for the Queen. Call me! I’m dying to see how Gupta has moved up in the world,” Oh told Entertainment Weekly in 2023.
It turns out that Oh had no idea why her character was such a fan favourite.
“I feel it’s like your generation that hit when you were all very young,” she told the reporter.
“I remember it was like 2015, I was walking down the street in Chicago, and there was a young person, who at that point in 2015, was not my usual demographic, which was like a college-aged, straight white guy.
“He passed me and then he ran back up to me and did the line: ‘Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh. The Queen is coming.”
Hector Elizondo
Who could forget Mia’s faithful bodyguard and the love of Queen Clarrise’s life Joe played by Hector Elizondo? Thankfully, Elizondo expressed interest in a sequel back in 2016 during a chat with Variety Latino.
“It’s not official, but certainly, everybody wants it done,” he said.
“I know Annie would like to do it. I know Julie would like to do it. I would like to do it. So we’re on board, it’s a question of when and a question of getting a good story. I’m ready! It’s time to go back to Genovia!”
Also, Lizardo calling Hathaway Annie melts my heart.
Fat Louie
There’s no question that Mia’s cat Fat Louie was one of the standouts in the film. Played by Anne Hathaway’s actual cat plus three other body doubles, he became a fan favourite for his stubborn nature and voluptuous body type.
Look, it’s been more than 20 years since the film premiered and I think it’s safe to say that the OG Fat Louie has crossed the rainbow bridge.
Anne Hathaway
Thankfully, the one and only Mia Thermopolis AKA Anne Hathaway is reprising her role for The Princess Diaries 3. After all, it wouldn’t exist without her.
She confirmed the exciting news on Instagram by recreating the iconic “shut up” line from the first film.
It’s all very exciting.
Let this serve as a reminder that dreams really do come true.
