Disney Honors 13 Legends at D23, Including Miranda, Jonas Brothers and Iger

Q: What secret storyline breakthrough finally pushed the third Princess Diaries film out of development purgatory after decades?

The breakthrough was a full story reset: Anne Hathaway said the team scrapped the script they had been developing and started over with a “new direction” that finally felt right. What that new direction specifically is has not been publicly confirmed. Hathaway has only said they had a recent “story breakthrough” and are now “moving in the right direction.” Director Adele Lim has offered the clearest thematic clue, saying the film aims to be less a princess fantasy and more a “wish-fulfillment” story about Mia Thermopolis as a queen, emphasizing female power, joy and mentorship. Reporting and industry chatter suggest the rewrite may also pull from Meg Cabot’s later books, especially “Royal Wedding,” and possibly center on Mia’s life as Queen of Genovia rather than revisit the original makeover premise. But those plot details remain speculative. So, the key reason the film appears to have escaped development limbo is not a revealed secret plot twist, but that the filmmakers abandoned the earlier draft and found a new creative angle they believe can sustain a proper continuation of Mia’s story.

3 articles · Updated · d23.com · Aug 18

Thirteen Disney Legends were inducted at Anaheim’s Honda Center on Aug. 16, capping the D23 fan event with honors for Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alan Tudyk, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, the Jonas Brothers and Bob Iger.
Disney framed the ceremony as a celebration of contributions across film, music, animation, sports media and theme parks, with CEO Josh D’Amaro saying the honorees helped sustain the company’s creative legacy.
Bob Iger, marking 20 years since first becoming Disney CEO, closed the night as the final inductee after tributes from Robert Downey Jr., Harrison Ford, Diane Sawyer, Ellen Pompeo and Al Michaels.
The biannual Disney Legends program began in 1987 with Fred MacMurray and has become a signature D23 event; the 2026 ceremony is also streaming on Disney+.