Adele Lim Teases “A Lot of Fun Returns” in ‘Princess Diaries 3’

Adele Lim has shared a new update about Princess Diaries 3, saying the long-awaited sequel is moving forward and will bring back familiar faces from the original films.

The comments were made during the Gold Gala carpet, as reported by Variety, where Lim spoke about the project and its direction. She is set to direct the new film, which will continue the story of Anne Hathaway’s character, Mia Thermopolis.

Lim said the production is progressing well, but the team is focused on getting the story right before moving ahead fully. She explained that the franchise means a lot to fans who grew up with it, and even to herself now as a parent.

She said, “We just want to make the story right because it is a franchise that is so beloved by so many people.”

Lim also explained that her approach to the new film is different from the earlier movies. Instead of focusing only on a young girl discovering she is royalty, the new story will follow a more mature version of Mia as Queen of Genovia.

She said, “There are so many movies that are wish fulfilment for princesses, we don’t have a lot of wish fulfilment movies for queens. That’s what we are setting out to do here, to show a woman in her full power.”

Anne Hathaway is expected to return as Mia Thermopolis, continuing her role from the original Princess Diaries films. According to Lim, fans can also expect returning characters from earlier movies, although exact details have not been confirmed.

She teased this idea during the event, saying, “If you were a fan of the original first two movies, I think you can look forward to a lot of fun returns.” She also added that the film will take place in Genovia and that the production hopes to film in Europe to bring the fictional kingdom to life on screen.

Alongside Princess Diaries 3, Lim is also working on other projects. She is an executive producer on a Crazy Rich Asians sequel series currently in development at HBO. The series will expand the world introduced in the 2018 hit film she helped write.

Lim said the TV format will allow for deeper storytelling. She explained, “We’re very excited because in a TV series we have the opportunity to explore all these different characters that the amazing writer Kevin Kwan brought to life in his book series.”

She also mentioned that while casting decisions for returning characters are still being worked out, the intention is to continue familiar storylines where possible.

With both projects in development, Adele Lim’s focus remains on expanding beloved stories while giving audiences new versions of characters they already know.

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