Dame Julie Andrews has officially confirmed that she will not be reprising her beloved role as Queen Clarisse Renaldi in Disney’s upcoming The Princess Diaries 3.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter alongside her daughter and co-author Emma Walton Hamilton to discuss their new children’s book Shy, the Oscar-winning icon opened up about why she feels her time in front of the camera for the franchise has come to a natural close.
“I’m Really Past All That Now”
While fans had held out hope for a royal reunion alongside Anne Hathaway’s Mia Thermopolis, Andrews candidly explained that her career has shifted away from on-camera film work.
“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.”
Despite stepping back from live-action filming, Andrews made it clear that her decision isn’t due to a lack of love for the franchise. “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 added, noting that time has naturally passed for the characters. “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.”
Reflecting on 25 Years of Royal Magic
As the original Princess Diaries film celebrates its 25th anniversary, Andrews looked back fondly on the creation of the 2001 classic and paid tribute to its late director, Garry Marshall.
“I’ve not really given it thought that way,” Andrews said of the film’s enduring longevity. “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.”
What We Know About ‘The Princess Diaries 3’
Disney officially announced that a third installment is in active development, with Anne Hathaway set to return as Queen Mia. Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians, Joy Ride) has been tapped to direct, while original producer Debra Martin Chase returns alongside executive producers Naia Cucukov and Melissa Stack.
Author Meg Cabot, who created The Princess Diaries book series, expressed total enthusiasm for the project’s direction after reading an early draft:
“I read a script, and it was amazing. I told them not to send anymore, because I love it so much,” Cabot shared. “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!’ It has been in discussions for a really long time… 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.”
Production Update: A Creative Pivot and Personal News
While anticipation for the film remains high, Hathaway provided a recent update during an appearance on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy with host Andy Cohen, confirming that production timeline details are currently paused while she expands her family.
“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 revealed. “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.”
Though Queen Clarisse won’t be gracing the throne this time around, the magic of Genovia endures as the creative team prepares to usher in the next chapter of Mia Thermopolis’ journey.
