Updated

Updated · Variety · Aug 11

Julie Andrews Declines Princess Diaries 3 Role at 90, Citing Retirement From On-Screen Acting

Updated

Updated · Variety · Aug 11

Julie Andrews Declines Princess Diaries 3 Role at 90, Citing Retirement From On-Screen Acting

Q: With Julie Andrews officially out, how will The Princess Diaries 3 write off the iconic Queen Clarisse without enraging loyal fans?

The least risky path is to keep Queen Clarisse off-screen but deeply present: say she has died peacefully or stepped back permanently as queen dowager, then build the story around Mia honoring her legacy. Anything more gimmicky risks alienating fans who closely associate the role with Julie Andrews. That approach fits what Andrews herself has said. She has called herself effectively retired, said the story should continue with Mia because “it’s her story,” and suggested the new film can work without “Granny.” Director Adele Lim has also signaled that the sequel is being reshaped into a “wish-fulfillment” story about queens, mentorship and a more fully realized Genovia. That makes Clarisse’s absence easier to frame as the emotional handoff from one queen to another. A respectful write-off would likely include a memorial portrait, references to Clarisse’s advice, and perhaps a letter, video message or voiceover if Andrews ever chose to contribute audio from home, though there is no sign that is planned. The script could also show Mia governing by principles Clarisse taught her, turning absence into continuity rather than a rupture. What fans are least likely to accept is recasting Clarisse or disposing of her with a throwaway line. Given Hathaway’s comments that the script was overhauled in a “new direction,” and Lim’s emphasis on Mia as queen and mentor, the safest bet is that Disney will treat Clarisse as a revered off-screen presence whose influence still shapes Genovia.

3 articles · Updated · Variety · Aug 11

Julie Andrews said she turned down an offer to reprise Queen Clarisse in “The Princess Diaries 3,” telling InStyle she is “retired” from on-screen acting.
The 90-year-old said the creative team asked throughout last year, but she felt the sequel would “flourish very well” without “Granny going in there at my age.”
Andrews has largely stepped away from screen roles for years, though she still takes voice work including Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” which she said she records from home “to keep my brain alive.”
Disney has been developing the sequel since 2022, with Adele Lim attached to direct and Anne Hathaway returning as Mia Thermopolis, now Queen of Genovia; no release date has been announced.
The franchise remains commercially significant: the 2001 original grossed $165 million worldwide and the 2004 sequel added $134 million.