The Princess Diaries 3 is currently in development at Disney but Chris Pine, who starred in the 2004 sequel, is unsure of his involvement in the project. Pine played the love interest of Anne Hathaway’s Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which earned over $134 million at the global box office. The Oscar-winning actress recently confirmed her involvement in the next installment, leaving fans wondering if they’ll see more of Mia’s romance with Pine’s character, Lord Nicholas Devereaux. The Star Trek actor doesn’t know the status of his role in the third film, so he’s calling on fans to reach out to Disney boss Bob Iger directly to get the tea.
Based on the bestselling book series by Meg Cabot, the first Princess Diaries movie was released over 20 years ago, in 2001. Starring Hathaway and Julie Andrews, it earned over $165 million worldwide. Garry Marshall, who passed away in 2016, directed the film and the sequel that marked Pine’s big-screen acting debut. Hathaway announced the long-awaited third story in the series in a video post on Oct. 4, captioning a TikTok clip: “The fairy tale continues ❤️”. Pine reacted to her message and the idea of potentially reprising his role during a Tuesday, Oct. 8 interview on Today With Hoda & Jenna, saying:
“The answer is I’ve gotta see… I don’t know anything about it. I think it’s fantastic. Call Disney! Call Bob Iger!”
The first two movies saw Mia transition from regular teen to Princess to Queen of Genovia under the guidance of her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldia (Andrews). Mia and Nicholas profess their love for each other at the end of the second film, setting the stage for Pine’s return. If he doesn’t appear in The Princess Diaries 3, it could lend credence to reports that the upcoming story might be a prequel. Otherwise, the sequel will probably come up with a reason for Pine’s absence.
Who is Returning for The Princess Diaries 3?
The cast for The Princess Diaries 3 has not yet been announced, with only Hathaway so far revealing that she is making a royal return as Mia Thermopolis, Variety reports. Andrews seemingly had some reservations about reprising her role in a 2022 interview with Access Hollywood, saying: “It was talked about very shortly after two came out, but it’s now how many years since then? And I am that much older and Annie the princess, or queen, is so much older. And I am not sure where it would float or run.”
Before the third film was announced, Hathaway suggested she would do what’s necessary to keep Andrews involved in the production, telling Entertainment Tonight: “We would go to where she was and put a green screen behind her and just make it happen.” The original film and the sequel also starred Heather Matarazzo and Hector Elizondo, who played Mia’s bodyguard and expressed interest in returning to the franchise.
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Chris Pine on Princess Diaries 3: ‘I’m Here for It’
There are no confirmed casting details for the anticipated film, but Pine is open to returning as Lord Nicholas Deveraux.
While appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, Pine reflected on his experience on The Princess Diaries 2 and its impact on his career. He shared with Fallon:
“It’s been 20 years. It’s been a long time. Can’t believe it’s been that long. But I have more people probably come up to me about that than anything I’ve ever done. And I’m very happy. It was an incredible experience.”
Adele Lim, who wrote Crazy Rich Asians, will direct The Princess Diaries 3 from a script penned by Flora Greeson. No details on the plot have yet been shared, but Disney revealed that the story would pick up where the sequel left off.
The Princess Diaries 3
does not yet have a release date. The first two movies are available to stream on Disney+.