Wonders do occur! Since Adele Lim (“Joy Ride,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Raya and the Last Dragon”) agreed to direct, “Princess Diaries 3” is progressing.
“I’m incredibly thrilled to be involved in the creation of the third installment of this cherished franchise, having been a devoted follower of the original ‘Princess Diaries,'” Lim said in a statement. “With audiences around the world, we look forward to celebrating its core tenants of female power, joy, and mentorship.”
Producing the movie is Debra Martin Chase, who started the franchise that starred Julie Andrews as the regal grandmother of Anne Hathaway’s character, Mia Thermopolis, a down-to-earth youngster who becomes queen of the made-up realm of Genovia. Under her Somewhere Pictures label, Hathaway will produce as well. Melissa Stack and Naia Cucukov, who were partners in production at 100 Tigers with Lim, are shown above, will executive produce the movie.
Hathaway posted Variety’s announcement along with a video of herself using the famous “Princess Diaries” line, “Shut up!” to show her joy and confirm her comeback.
The highly anticipated film “Princess Diaries 3” has been in development since 2022. Hathaway provided an update on the project’s status in an interview with V Magazine last year. “We’re doing well,” Hathaway jokingly said. As of yet, nothing is to be announced. But things are going well for us.
The screenplay is written by Flora Greeson. Although the threequel’s plot is unknown, it is anticipated that it would go on from “The Princess Diaries” (2001) and its 2004 sequel, “Royal Engagement,” rather than starting over.
The film “Crazy Rich Asians,” which Warner Bros. released with a $30 million budget and went on to gross $174 million domestically, is best known for having been written by Lim. It became one of the most profitable romantic comedies ever, earning nominations for best picture at the Golden Globes and Producers Guild Awards in addition to taking home the Critics Choice Award. She wrote Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” which was nominated for an Oscar for best animated picture, as a follow-up to “Crazy Rich Asians.” With the Lionsgate film “Joy Ride,” which starred Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu, and Stephanie Hsu, Lim made her directing debut in 2023. Together with Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen of Point Grey Pictures, she produced the film as well.
Lim, a native of Malaysia with Chinese ancestry, started her TV career as a writer-producer on programs like “Lethal Weapon” and “One Tree Hill,” and she also served as co-showrunner for the CW series “Starcrossed.” She co-founded the production company 100 Tigers in 2023 with Cucukov, a former senior executive at Walden Media whose credits include “Manhunt” and the Netflix series “The Baby-Sitters Club.” The company’s goal is to “foster and empower artists and projects that share our passion for female-forward, cross-cultural stories with global appeal and a glossy edge.” Several projects with 100 Tigers are being developed at multiple studios, such as Amazon/MGM, HBO Max, and ABC.
