Anne Hathaway is set to return as Mia Thermopolis, who will now be Queen of Genovia.
Fans may be disappointed to learn that Dame Julie Andrews, who played Queen Clarisse Renaldi, does not plan to return for “The Princess Diaries 3.”
In a recent interview with TODAY, the 90-year-old actress, who starred alongside Anne Hathaway in the original “The Princess Diaries” and its 2004 sequel, confirmed that she will not appear in the upcoming third movie.
“I’m not going to be in it,” she said.
Andrews explained that the story for the new film is different and that she is not sure how the filmmakers are handling it. She said it is too late for her to return and that the story should now focus on Princess Mia because it is her story rather than Clarisse’s.
Andrews had previously discussed the possibility of returning in an interview with InStyle. She said the film’s creative team had contacted her several times, but she decided not to take part.
She explained that she considers herself retired and said it was very difficult to turn down the opportunity. However, she felt she had already had a wonderful experience with the franchise and believed the new film could continue successfully without bringing back her character at her age.
Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway is set to return as Mia Thermopolis, who will now be Queen of Genovia.
Hathaway has also supported the third film. Speaking to Andy Cohen on SiriusXM, she said the team had found a breakthrough in the story and believed they were moving in the right direction.
She explained that the previous script had to be rewritten because of the new direction, but said everyone involved feels positive about the latest version and believes it could be the right story for the film.
