Genovia is going to look a little different this time around.
It’s been 25 years since The Princess Diaries debuted in theaters in 2001 and took over the world of Disney. With Anne Hathaway at the helm, the movie followed Mia Thermopolis, a teenage girl who discovered she was heir to a fictional European country. What’s more, the iconic Julie Andrews played Mia’s grandmother, Clarisse, the queen of Genovia who was all about making change for her constituents.
The original film was a smash hit, with a sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, coming out in 2004. Since then, though, fans have been itching for a third installment—and Anne confirmed that a new movie has been in development for some time. And while viewers would love to see Mia and Clarisse back together, Julie revealed she isn’t exactly planning on taking part in The Princess Diaries 3.
As Julie revealed in an interview with InStyle on August 10, she noted that she’s done appearing onscreen for any new projects. But it’s also important to note that it didn't come as an easy decision for her.
“I think I’m retired, really, would be about the best description for that,” she explained. “[The film’s creative team] asked me all last year if I would be keen to do it. It was very, very hard to say ‘no,’ but I did because I thought I had a wonderful ride, and this one I felt would flourish very well and wouldn’t need Granny going in there at my age.”
Well, this is certainly a disappointment for us! What’s more, longtime fans felt the same way.
“Heard, understood, respected. Devastated,” one person wrote on Instagram. “A lady always knows when to walk away 💅🏼 😍,” another wrote. “NO! 😫 it won’t be the same without you!” a different follower said.
While we know Julie won’t be featured in The Princess Diaries 3, what does this mean for any other acting projects that aren’t on camera? After all, she is the voice of Lady Whistledown on Bridgerton, with season 5 currently in development at Netflix.
Luckily, Julie assured that her career isn’t over just yet—it’s just evolved to more voice-over roles.
“It was a little bewildering if you just get your pages and you don’t know the full storyline,” Julie added, regarding her work in Bridgerton. “I do it mostly to keep my brain alive.”
We too respect it, but we’ll definitely miss Julie when the time comes for The Princess Diaries 3 to make its way to theaters!
