Miracles happen! Development on “Princess Diaries 3” is moving along with Adele Lim (“Joy Ride,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Raya and the Last Dragon”) signing on to direct.
“As a diehard fan of the original ‘Princess Diaries,’ I’m beyond excited to be a part of bringing the third iteration of this beloved franchise to life,” Lim said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating its core tenants of female power, joy and mentorship with audiences worldwide.”
Flora Greeson is writing the script. The film is produced by Debra Martin Chase, who originated the film franchise starring Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis, the down-to-earth teen-turned-queen of the fictional kingdom of Genovia, and Julie Andrews as her regal grandmother. Naia Cucukov (Lim’s producing partner at 100 Tigers, both pictured above) will executive produce the film alongside Melissa Stack.
“Princess Diaries 3” has been in development since 2022 and, last year, Hathaway shared her enthusiasm about the long-awaited movie’s progress in an interview with V Magazine. “We’re in a good place,” Hathaway teased. “There’s nothing to announce yet. But we’re in a good place.”
Plot details haven’t been confirmed, but the threequel is expected to continue the story in 2001’s “The Princess Diaries” and the 2004 sequel “Royal Engagement” rather than rebooting the series.
Lim is best known for penning the mega-hit movie “Crazy Rich Asians,” which grossed $174 million domestically for Warner Bros. (on a $30 million budget), becoming one of the most profitable romantic comedies of all time and nabbing nominations for best picture at the Golden Globes, Producers Guild Awards and winning the Critics Choice Award. She followed up “Crazy Rich Asians” by writing Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” which was nominated the Oscar for best animated feature. In 2023, Lim made her directorial debut with the Lionsgate movie “Joy Ride,” starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu and Stephanie Hsu. She also produced the movie alongside Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg of Point Grey Pictures.
Lim, a Malaysian native of Chinese descent, began her career in TV as a writer-producers on shows like “One Tree Hill” and “Lethal Weapon,” and as co-showrunner of “Starcrossed” on the CW. In 2023, she partnered with Cucukov (a former senior exec. at Walden Media, whose credits include Netflix’s “The Baby-Sitters Club” series and “Manhunt”) to form the production company 100 Tigers, with a mission to “foster and empower artists and projects that share our passion for female-forward, cross-cultural stories with global appeal and a glossy edge.” 100 Tigers has several projects in development at various studios including Amazon/MGM, HBO Max and ABC.
Deadline was first to report news of Lim’s directing deal.
Source Agencies
