Disney taps Joy Ride director to helm The Princess Diaries 3
The Princess Diaries 3 is moving ahead as Disney has picked someone with fun experience to handle the new sequel in the Disney franchise!
Based on the young adult novels by Meg Cabot, The Princess Diaries tells the story of Mia Thermopolis, a typical nerdy high school student who’s rocked when her grandmother drops into town and reveals the truth: Mia’s father was the crown prince of the country of Genovia and Mia is now in line for the throne. After a makeover to transform her into a knockout beauty, Mia is trained to become a royal while wanting to keep her normal life.
The film premiered in 2001 with a then-unknown Anne Hathway as Mia and Disney legend Julie Andrews as her grandmother, Clarisse. The film was a massive hit, grossing $165 million, and instantly made Hathaway a star. She and Andrews returned for a 2004 sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.
There have been discussions on and off about a third film but nothing’s come of it, mostly due to Hathaway embarking on a bolder career as an Oscar-winning star. However, Disney is making plans with a new film produced by Debra Martin Chase, Naia Cucukov, and Melissa Stack, with Flora Greeson writing the screenplay.
Now, the movie has a director in Adele Lim. After time working on various TV shows, Lim c-wrote the screenplay for 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians, credited with rewriting the film’s third act, which many thought was fantastic in its showdown between Constance Wu and Michelle Yeoh. The movie was a worldwide hit of $239 million.
Lim then moved to Disney to co-write and direct the 2021 animated film Raya and the Last Dragon. Despite opening amid the pandemic, the film was still successful. Lim followed that up with her directorial feature debut of the raunchy comedy Joy Ride.
Speaking to Deadline, Lim looked eager to take part in the film.
"As a diehard fan of the original Princess Diaries, I’m beyond excited to be a part of bringing the third iteration of this beloved franchise to life. We look forward to celebrating its core tenants of female power, joy and mentorship with audiences worldwide."
The choice of Lim is a bit surprising, and it’s easy to speculate that this film could utilize an Asian-American lead to fit Lim’s past works. Hathaway is expected to appear in the sequel, so it’s not a full reboot, although her role and the storyline are still unclear. However, given Lim’s past success, having her on board shows that The Princess Diaries is on track to hit in a few years and will be another long-awaited sequel for fans to enjoy.
The Princess Diaries streaming on Disney+.