Hathaway on Andrews Skipping Princess Diaries 3: 'We're Down' If She Changes Her Mind

Nearly a quarter-century after The Princess Diaries introduced audiences to the improbably charming kingdom of Genovia, its long-gestating third chapter is slowly taking shape — though it will do so without one of cinema's most beloved presences. Anne Hathaway, now 43 and freshly inducted as an official Disney Legend at this week's D23 Expo in Anaheim, offered a characteristically gracious response to Julie Andrews' decision to sit out the sequel, while signaling that the project itself is finally gaining meaningful momentum.

A Gracious Door Left Open

When pressed on Andrews' widely reported departure from the project at D23, Hathaway struck a tone that balanced genuine warmth with pragmatic acceptance. According to TheWrap, the actress told Entertainment Tonight that the production team "did push really hard" to secure Andrews' involvement before ultimately accepting her wishes. "If she has a change of heart, we're down," Hathaway said, before quickly pivoting to deference: "Whatever she wants, we completely understand."

Andrews, now 90, had addressed the matter directly in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month. With a candor befitting someone who has spent seven decades navigating the entertainment industry, she described herself as "past all that now," noting that her current creative output — podcasts, voiceovers, and book writing — represents a deliberate and contented shift from her screen work. "I don't think I should be a part of it," she said with characteristic decisiveness. It is worth noting that Andrews' graceful exit mirrors a broader pattern among luminaries of her generation who have chosen to curate their legacy on their own terms, a decision that deserves nothing less than the respect Hathaway extended.

A Story Rebuilt From the Ground Up

Beyond the Andrews situation, Hathaway provided the most substantive update yet on the screenplay's development — and it came with a candid admission. Speaking separately with Andy Cohen during the press circuit surrounding The Odyssey, she revealed that the creative team had effectively scrapped an earlier draft and started fresh. "The script that we were working on had — we kind of had to start over with this new direction," she acknowledged, conceding that was "not the update I think anybody wants." Yet she followed that admission with something more encouraging: "I think we had a story breakthrough. We all feel really good that this is going to be the one."

The directorial appointment of Adele Lim — whose work on Joy Ride demonstrated a sharp instinct for comedy rooted in genuine emotional stakes — suggests the production is aiming for something tonally richer than a nostalgia exercise. Hathaway is also returning as a producer on the project, a role that underscores her investment in shaping the sequel's creative identity rather than simply reprising her star turn.

The Weight of a Generation's Core Memory

Perhaps the most revealing moment in Hathaway's D23 appearance came when she articulated the emotional responsibility she feels toward the franchise's original audience. "I want the women who were six when the first one came out — a lot of whom are now mothers themselves, maybe even with six-year-olds — I want them to feel like they're bringing their children to something that mattered to them," she said. It is a rare and thoughtful framing for a legacy sequel, one that acknowledges the generational transmission of cultural memory rather than simply banking on it.

Timing, however, remains fluid. Hathaway — who is expecting her third child — joked that the pregnancy has introduced some scheduling complexity into an already intricate production timeline. Still, with a revitalized script, a committed director, and a star who clearly understands what the material means to its audience, The Princess Diaries 3 appears to be in the steadiest position it has occupied in years. Whether Andrews ultimately reconsiders remains an open question, but the film's foundation no longer depends on that answer.

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