18 long years ago, in 2001, Anne Hathaway made one of her first major breaks on the big screen in The Princess Diaries. She played Mia Thermopolis: a charmingly geeky teenager who finds out she's next in line to the throne of Genovia. Three years later, a second (and slightly less popular) instalment came out, and followed Mia's quest to find a suitable husband.
Now, with all the original fans of the flick well into their adulthood, it's been announced that a third movie is being released.
Rumours about a third film had been floating around since 2017, at which point it was said that a script had been written and that Hathaway - along with several of her co-stars - were game for a reunion. These whispers were only confirmed yesterday, however, when Princess Mia herself announced that she would be up for returning for another trip to Genovia!
Speaking on Watch What Happens Live last night, the actress broke the big news.
"There is a script for the third movie," Hathway said to a huge applause from the audience.
"There is a script, I want to do it. Julie [Andrews] wants to do it. Debra Martin Chase, our producer, wants to do it. We all really want it to happen. It’s just we don’t want to unless it’s perfect because we love it just as much as you guys love it. It’s as important to us as it is to you, and we don’t want to deliver anything until it’s ready, but we’re working on it so..."
Ok, so the film still isn't 100 per cent going to go ahead, but, given that Hathaway, Andrews, and the producer are all keen, there's a pretty decent chance it'll come to fruition.
And Twitter is, as the kids say, SHOOK - but they also have one very specific request about who they'd like to see in the third film:
"This the best news ever!!!" wrote one person. "Please let Chris Pine be back in it!"
"If Chris Pine isn’t in it I’m yelling I want a wedding and I want loveee I have high expectations," said another.
"Chris Pine needs to be in it and so does Hector Elizondo!!!" added a third. "I’m so freaking happy!!!!!"
And I have to admit, my six-year-old self is kinda going a bit nuts over this news. The first movie was one of the first films I ever saw in the cinema, and I remember being so hyped to go along with my dad to see it (and I've got to give a shout out to him for sitting through it).
But, considering that 15 years has passed since we last saw Mia onscreen, we have to wonder what this third (and presumably final) instalment could entail. Will the princess finally get married? How's the former Queen, Clarisse, getting along? And, most importantly, what has become of Fat Louie!?
We can only hope that Hathaway does get the project going ahead, and that we will hear more details very soon.
