Fans Debate Over Love Interest in ‘The Princess Diaries 3’

It has been officially announced that “The Princess Diaries 3” is happening, with Anne Hathaway returning to reprise her role as Mia Thermopolis, now the Queen of Genovia. This has sparked an online debate among fans, who are divided into two camps: Team Michael and Team Nicholas.

The original “Princess Diaries” films are based on the book series by Meg Cabot. The first movie, released in 2001, closely follows the source material and focuses on Mia balancing her high school life with her newfound status as a princess. Julie Andrews starred alongside Hathaway as Princess Clarice, Mia’s grandmother, while Robert Schwartzman took on the role of Michael, Mia’s romantic interest. The film ends with Mia and Michael together.

However, in the 2004 sequel, “The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement,” Robert Schwartzman’s character, Michael, is absent, and Mia’s romantic arc centers around Nicholas Devereaux, played by Chris Pine. The film concludes with Mia and Nicholas together, though they remain unmarried.

The novels differ from the films, as Nicholas does not exist in the books, and Mia ultimately marries Michael. This leaves the upcoming sequel at a crossroads: Should it follow the movie continuity with Chris Pine’s Nicholas, or realign with the book’s storyline featuring Michael?

Fans have taken to social media to voice their opinions. A supporter of Team Michael stated, “If Robert Schwartzman is not back as Michael Moscovitz and he and Mia aren’t living their best nerdy life together as soulmates then I DO NOT WANT IT,” expressing a firm stance on the matter. Meanwhile, a Team Nicholas advocate argued, “If Chris Pine isn’t in ‘Princess Diaries 3’ I will never recover from the disappointment.”

Both Schwartzman and Pine have shown interest in rejoining the franchise. In a recent interview, Chris Pine mentioned his openness to returning but claimed, “I don’t know anything” about the project’s details. He encouraged fans to, “Call Disney,” highlighting his lack of information.

On the other hand, Robert Schwartzman expressed in a 2022 interview that he would be delighted to come back if the studios decided to bring the story back with the original cast. “People have asked me… of course,” he shared, showing enthusiasm for the project, despite his initial exclusion from the sequel during his time with his band, Rooney.

The upcoming film will be directed by Adele Lim, who professed her love for the original series in discussions with a leading magazine. Currently, Hathaway remains the only confirmed cast member.

Julie Andrews, who played the role of Princess Clarice, has suggested that she is unlikely to return, citing her advancing age and the time elapsed since her last appearance in the franchise.