Anne Hathaway on Julie Andrews Missing Princess Diaries 3

“I just want it to be fun,” Hathaway said. “The women who were six when the first one came out, a lot of whom are now mothers themselves, maybe even with 6-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.”

That nostalgia also creates pressure. Hathaway said the team wants to take enough time to build the film properly rather than rush out another visit to Genovia and hope affection handles the rest.

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

Why Julie Andrews decided not to return

Julie Andrews, 90, confirmed her absence in an interview with Today.com published Aug. 10. She said the new film appears to be taking the story in a different direction, with Hathaway’s Princess Mia firmly at its centre.

“I’m not going to be in it,” Andrews said. “I think the story is slightly different, and I’m not quite sure how they’re dealing with that. But it’s too late for me to do it. I think the story has to continue in Princess Mia.”

“It’s her story,” she added. “It’s not really mine.”

The Oscar-winning actor also suggested her decision reflects a broader retreat from screen acting, not any particular objection to returning to Genovia. Andrews, whose more recent work has included a voice role in Bridgerton, told InStyle that retirement was probably the most accurate description of her current position.

She said the creative team had spent “all last year” asking whether she would be interested in participating. Turning them down was not easy.

“It was very, very hard to say ‘no,’” Andrews said, “but I did.”

For now, the third film will move forward around Princess Mia, while Hathaway continues trying to balance nostalgia with a story that can stand on its own. Andrews may no longer be wearing the crown, but the invitation, apparently, has not been withdrawn.