Though it pings on the news radar from time to time, there has been very little concrete development on a third The Princess Diaries film. And the death of Garry Marshall, who directed both the 2001 original and its 2004 sequel, subtitled Royal Engagement took the wind even more out of its sails. Yet Disney – which saw the first two films earn more than $300 million collectively at the box office and build a big fanbase — is not ready to let go of Genovia. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the pieces are slowly falling into place for a third movie.
For those who might somehow be unaware, the Princess Diaries films adapt Meg Cabot's novel series, and focus on Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway), a gawky San Francisco teenager who discovers that her late father was Crown Prince of a small European country called Genovia.
Grandmother Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) attempts to turn Mia from misfit to fit for the throne, though it won't be an easy journey for either of them. The sequel, meanwhile, had Mia facing a challenge to her claim from the family of Nicholas Devereaux (Chris Pine), though they ended up falling for each other.
Right now, the film is at an early stage, with Diaries veteran producer Debra Martin Chase aboard and Godmothered writer Melissa Stack as an executive producers. Actual scripting duties are currently in the hands of Aadrita Mukerji, who has worked on shows such as Supergirl and Reacher.
Hathaway does not have an official deal to return, though she has repeatedly said that she'd happily reprise the role (assuming, of course, she likes the screenplay). And while Andrews has been more resistant to the idea, there's still a chance she'll be back if this one comes together. And if neither return? Reboot! It's unlikely at this point though, as the current plan is to continue the story.
Want to get the most from Empire? Sign up for Empire Membership!
Get exclusive content, new member-only rewards, access to the latest issue of the magazine plus our back-issue archive, and much more.