Anne Hathaway may have won an Oscar and played Catwoman, but to many, she will always be the star of the Princess Diaries franchise. The original film put Hathaway on the map, and it’s easy to see why: her turn as the ugly duckling-turned-royal princess is as magnetic today as it was upon release… in 2001. That’s right folks, the original film is old enough to drink, and the sequel, Princess Diaries: A Royal Engagement, isn’t far behind.
While this information may be shocking for some on its own, what’s even more shocking is how old Hathaway was when she took on the character of Mia Thermpolis. She played a high school student in the original and a college student in the sequel, but was she actually Mia’s age? Hollywood is rarely concerned about accuracy in the age department, as evidenced by the countless examples of thirty-somethings playing teenagers.
We’re pleased to report that Hathaway actually bucked this distracting trend. She was 19 years old when the original film was released, which made her only one year removed from the age that Mia was supposed to be. It also marked her film debut. Hathaway was 22 years old when Princess Diaries: A Royal Engagement came out, which once again meant that she was right on the money.
A major plot point in A Royal Engagement is that Mia is turning 21 and is therefore pushed to find a husband by her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews). Hijinks ensue, and Mia is ultimately able to achieve her goal of becoming Queen without compromising herself in the process. A Royal Engagement was another huge success in 2004, though tellingly, it was the last film Hathaway made before she turned towards more dramatic adult fare.
Will Anne Hathaway be in Princess Diaries 3?
In an effort to not be pigeonholed in children’s films, Hathaway took on increasingly challenging projects like Havoc, Brokeback Mountain (both 2005) and Rachel Getting Married (2008). The latter earned her an Oscar nomination. Her career has continued to thrive as she’s gotten older, appearing in blockbusters like The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Interstellar (2014), as well as winning an Oscar for her devastating performance in Les Misérables (2012).
Hathaway’s career came full circle, however, when she expressed interest in making Princess Diaries 3. The actress, now 40, has not signed on to the upcoming film, but has been vocal about wanting to be involved in some capacity. Little has been said about Princess Diaries 3, though the latest update did come from Hathaway in January 2023.
“I know it’s probably very frustrating,” she told People, when asked about the long wait for the film. “It’s a process that requires patience, and so everybody should consider themselves a part of the movie business now, because this is how long it actually takes to make things.”
Hathaway isn’t alone in her enthusiasm. Chris Pine, who made his debut in A Royal Engagement, told Entertainment Tonight that he’s all for dusting off the uniform and returning as Nicholas Devereaux. Here’s hoping the powers that be at Disney get both stars involved.
