Fans of the first two The Princess Diaries films were excited to hear the news that number 3 was in the works, but before the dust could settle from all those Meg Cabot and Anne Hathaway fans jumping for joy, Disney responded that no sequel would be gracing screens at any time in the near future. Three days ago, the word was that confirmation had been received that the long awaited sequel was in the works and then Heather Matarazzo tweeted about a Teen Vogue article and excitement levels surged.
Heather, who played Lily Moscovitz in Princess Diaries 1 and 2, posted the tweet referencing the news site:
Sadly, before anyone could say “shut up” Disney shot down the rumors stating that there were no plans to make a sequel. Sources told Entertainment Weekly that while the topic had arisen in conversation, there really was not a move to make yet another “Diaries” sequel.
Both films, The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 3: Royal Engagement made Disney a lot of money in terms of box office revenue, and home entertainment returns, of over $300 million. The films made a star of Hathaway and the second one had a “pre-Captain Kirk” Chris Pine in it as love interest.
While Heather seems to have taken notice of the very short period of excitement, no one else, apart from Disney, have bothered to mention the news of the sequel.
In all likelihood, the idea of a PD 3 came from the release of Meg Cabot’s latest volume in the series on 2 June 2015. The Princess Diaries: Royal Wedding is the first in the tales of Princess Mia where she is an adult.
The very fact that the character Hathaway played in the first two films is now a grownup, in the book series, and the latest title is so very evocative of The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, makes the film rumor seem like a logical conclusion. Add to this a little bit of fan wishful thinking, Matarazzo’s optimistic tweet and the rest, as they say, is history.
In the Meg Cabot book, Mia has been a college graduate for five years now and is living in New York, attending plenty of official engagements and long term love Michael has popped the question and Mia says yes. All of which would look pretty good on screen and would provide closure for those fans of the movies.
As Disney have denied that they are even thinking of making a third PD, then it may take a re-booting or re-imagining, of the books into a new series of films to make this a reality. Say goodbye to the “perfect” Princess Mia, Hathaway, and hello to whichever upcoming starlet is available and cheaper to use. Even if Disney had responded in the positive, Hathaway would command a pretty hefty price tag which may be the real reason the studios have reacted so negatively.
In the meantime, fans of Cabot’s books can still visit Mia’s world, just not on screen. It may not have the same impact as seeing Anne Hathaway reprise her role once more, but in the mind’s eye, Anne will always be Mia.
