Anne Hathaway had discussed her reaction to former co-star Julie Andrews’ news that she isn’t planning on returning for The Princess Diaries 3, set to be the third installment in The Princess Diaries film series, which began in 2001 with Garry Marshall’s classic comedy about a young teen who discovers she is an heiress to the crown of Genovia and must be taken under the wing of her estranged grandmother to fit the new role. The original film is adapted from the 2000 book of the same name by author Meg Cabot.

The Princess Diaries earned mixed reviews yet helped Hathaway prove herself as a bankable leading credit, in what was her feature debut, as the film grossed $165.3 million globally from a $26 million budget. A sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, followed in 2004 and a third film was announced in late 2022, with Hathaway eager to return.

However, Andrews has publicly turned down a third appearance as Clarisse Renaldi

“I think the absolute truth is that I think I’m really past all that now,” The Sound of Music star admitted in an interview early this month. “I’m not completely retired, but it’s a different kind of work that I do these days — [writing] books, and I do a lot of recording of podcasts and voiceovers.”

“But truly, I don’t think I should be a part of it,” Andrews concluded.

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The Odyssey’s Hathaway responded to the news in a sit-down with Entertainment Weekly after receiving her Disney Legends Honour.

“First of all, I just want to say if she has a change of heart, we’re down,” the star shared. “Just anything, really. But we also want to be respectful. Like, for goodness sakes, if anybody has contributed to the world of entertainment and to our collective joy, it’s her. Whatever she wants, we completely understand.”

“We did push really hard to see if she would want to do it,” Hathaway added.

The End of Oak Street star is still holding on to the upsides of the third installment in the classic comedy series.

“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, a core memory for them, something that was a part of their heart and their lives,” the actor had previously shared upon the threequel.

“And that means doing it justice. And that means taking the time that it takes to really build it right. That’s a lot of pressure, but I feel like this is a great team.”

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