The Princess Diaries Turns 25: A Look Back at the Film That Made Us All Want to Be Royalty

Shut up. Just shut up. It has been 25 years since Mia Thermopolis stood in a school gym, got hit with the most life-altering piece of news a teenager has ever received, and responded with those two immortal words. On August 3, 2001, Disney released The Princess Diaries to theaters, and absolutely nobody, including the studio, predicted what was about to happen. Critics were lukewarm. Industry observers expected a modest G-rated family picture to come and go quietly. Instead, they got a cultural phenomenon that is still generating excitement, merchandise collections, anniversary screenings, and one very much in-progress threequel a full quarter century later. We are celebrating all of it. Welcome to Genovia, everyone. Your queen awaits.

The Film That Started It All

At its core, The Princess Diaries is a deceptively simple story. Mia Thermopolis, a shy, klutzy, invisible San Francisco high schooler living with her artist mother in a converted firehouse, is minding her own business and nursing a hopeless crush on the popular boy when her estranged grandmother shows up and drops a bomb: Mia is the heir apparent to the European kingdom of Genovia, and if she does not step up and claim the throne, the monarchy ends. What follows is a crash course in royal etiquette, a makeover, a whole lot of falling down, and a deeply charming coming-of-age story about a girl figuring out who she actually is versus who everyone else wants her to be.

The film was directed by the late Garry Marshall, the man behind Pretty Woman and Beaches, who brought exactly the right amount of warmth and broad comedy to the material without letting it tip into saccharine. It was co-produced by the late Whitney Houston, whose production company BrownHouse brought the Meg Cabot novel to Disney’s attention in the first place. The screenplay by Gina Wendkos kept the spirit of Cabot’s beloved book series while making significant changes for the screen, most notably moving the setting from New York to San Francisco, which gave the film a visual identity that made it feel distinct from any other teen comedy of its era.

The budget was a modest $26 million. The results were anything but modest.

Why It Worked: A Review

Here is the honest critical truth about The Princess Diaries: the critics in 2001 were not wrong about its flaws. The plot is predictable, the ugly-duckling makeover sequence has not aged especially well, and the narrative does not exactly subvert the fairy tale conventions it is working within. The New York Times famously called it “Pretty Woman for children” at the time, and that is not entirely inaccurate.

What the critics missed, and what audiences understood immediately, is that the execution of a formula matters just as much as the formula itself, and this film executes its formula with an almost miraculous level of warmth and charm. Every element clicks. Anne Hathaway, making her feature film debut at age 18, is astonishing in how fully realized her performance is. Her physical comedy alone, the slipping, the bumping into things, the expressive face that registers shock and delight and mortification in rapid succession, would have been enough. But she also brings a genuine emotional intelligence to Mia that makes you root for her from her very first scene. The audition reportedly happened while Hathaway was still in high school, and Marshall chose her over countless other candidates because of something he could not quite define: a quality of realness that no amount of polish could manufacture.

Julie Andrews as Queen Clarisse Renaldi is simply perfect. The film was widely credited with bringing Andrews back to mainstream cinema after years of semi-retirement, and her chemistry with Hathaway carries the emotional weight of the entire movie. Every scene they share crackles with something genuine: a grandmother who loves her granddaughter and shows it in the most complicated, demanding, ultimately tender way possible. The scene in the garage where Clarisse lets her hair down, literally, is one of the most joyful moments in any Disney film of that decade, and it belongs entirely to Andrews.

The supporting cast is equally strong. Heather Matarazzo as Lilly is exactly the kind of best friend everyone wished they had in high school: loyal to a fault, chaotic, honest to the point of cruelty, and ultimately irreplaceable. Hector Elizondo as Joe, the head of security and Clarisse’s quiet soulmate, brings a grace and dignity to a role that could have been purely comic relief. And Mandy Moore as the villain Lana Thomas is pitch perfect early-aughts mean girl energy, all shiny hair and strategic cruelty.

The film also has one of the great soundtracks of its era. From Rooney’s “Losing My Mind” to Supergrass’s “Alright” to “Catch My Breath” by the Annie Moses Band, the music functions as a perfect time capsule of early 2000s pop rock that gives the movie an energy and texture beyond its modest budget. As one music producer who worked on the film later reflected, “You can’t intentionally try and create a pop culture phenomenon. You hope for the best outcome and every now and then get struck by lightning. And I think that’s what The Princess Diaries was.”

A Sleeper Hit That Defied All Expectations

The Princess Diaries was a genuine sleeper hit, grossing $165.3 million worldwide on a $26 million budget and defying industry expectations at every turn. Journalists had widely predicted the film would underperform due to its G rating and subject matter, and they were comprehensively wrong. It opened at number three at the domestic box office and then simply refused to leave theaters, running for 24 weeks and continuing to find new audiences throughout the fall of 2001. Word of mouth among young girls was the engine: this was a film that its audience recommended to each other with evangelical fervor, and that enthusiasm showed up in the numbers.

The film’s success had lasting industry consequences. It established Anne Hathaway as a bankable actress and revived Julie Andrews’ film career, two outcomes that reshaped Hollywood in ways still visible today. Disney took immediate note and greenlit a sequel. And Meg Cabot, whose novel had been a YA hit, became a household name for an entire generation of young readers who discovered the books through the film.

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)

Three years after the original, Disney released The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, with Marshall returning to direct and Andrews and Hathaway both back in their roles. The sequel introduces a new wrinkle: Mia, now graduating college and preparing to take the Genovian throne, is informed that Genovian law requires the monarch to be married. Enter Nicholas Devereaux, played by a then-unknown Chris Pine in his feature film debut, who is both her romantic foil and her political rival. Also entering: Raven-Symoné as Mia’s new best friend, and John Rhys-Davies as the scheming Viscount Mabrey.

The sequel leaned harder into the romantic comedy elements and pulled back on the coming-of-age specificity that made the original so resonant. Critics were, if anything, even cooler on it than on the first film. But audiences showed up anyway: Royal Engagement grossed $134.9 million worldwide, and together the two films earned over $300 million globally. The sequel also introduced Chris Pine to the world before anyone outside of theater circles knew his name, which is a gift that keeps giving. It deepened the relationship between Joe and Clarisse in a way that gave Andrews something more substantial to play, and the subplot of the older couple finding their way to each other is genuinely sweet in a way that transcends the broader silliness around it. It is not the original, but it is a worthy companion piece, and its fan affection has only grown in the two decades since.

Why the Franchise Became a Pop Culture Phenomenon

The Princess Diaries did something specific and relatively rare in 2001: it made a movie about a young girl for young girls that did not require those girls to be interested in boys first and themselves second. Mia’s story is fundamentally about identity and self-acceptance. The romance is present but secondary. The real relationship at the center of the film is between Mia and her grandmother, two women across generations navigating love and duty and what it means to step into who you are supposed to be. That is not a premise with a lot of precedent in mainstream studio filmmaking, then or now.

The film arrived at a specific cultural moment. Disney was building on the success of 1997’s The Parent Trap by expanding its live-action slate for young girls, and The Princess Diaries became the defining success of that strategy. It gave an entire generation of girls a princess who was not born graceful, not naturally poised, not conventionally perfect. Mia trips over things. She freezes up in public. She makes the wrong choices and has to live with them. And then she gets up and tries again, in a tiara, which is arguably the most empowering image the early 2000s produced.

If you love debating which Disney princess reigns supreme, we have you covered right here on The Game of Nerds: check out our Ultimate Disney Princess Ranking Bracket where we let the fans decide who truly deserves the crown. (Mia may not be an official Disney Princess, but she absolutely earned her seat at that table.)

Twenty-five years later, the evidence of the film’s impact is everywhere. The Princess Diaries is regularly cited by millennial and Gen Z women as one of the formative texts of their adolescence. It has inspired countless fan works, tribute videos, TikToks, and rewatches that show no sign of slowing down. And this year, in honor of the anniversary, Disney unveiled a 25th anniversary merchandise collection debuting at D23 2026, celebrating the humor, heart, and history of the franchise. Anne Hathaway herself marked the occasion on Instagram with behind-the-scenes footage, calling the film one of the most magical things to ever happen to her and expressing lasting gratitude for her onscreen family.

The Status of Princess Diaries 3

Now for the update everyone has been waiting for. The Princess Diaries 3 is real, it is in active development, and it is getting closer. Here is where things stand as of this anniversary.

The film has been in development since 2022 and found its director in October 2024 when Adele Lim, the writer behind Crazy Rich Asians and the director of Raya and the Last Dragon, officially signed on. Lim’s statement at the time could not have been more perfectly matched to the franchise: “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. We look forward to celebrating its core tenants of female power, joy and mentorship with audiences worldwide.”

Anne Hathaway’s most recent update, shared on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy, is simultaneously cautionary and genuinely exciting. She revealed that the script they had been developing had to be scrapped and restarted in a new direction, which is “not the update I think anybody wants.” But she followed that by saying, “I think we had a story breakthrough. I think we are moving in the right direction. We all feel really good that this is gonna be the one.”

The timing has also been complicated by Hathaway’s personal life: she announced a third pregnancy earlier this year, and has noted with characteristic humor that baby number three has temporarily taken the place of knowing exactly when she can get in front of a camera for Mia again. Meg Cabot herself has read a version of the script and told The Hollywood Reporter she loved it so much she asked them not to send more drafts because she has trouble keeping her mouth shut. That is, frankly, the most exciting thing anyone has said about this film.

As for the rest of the cast: Hathaway is confirmed. Julie Andrews, now 90, is rumored to be involved, though the specifics of her role remain unclear. Chris Pine’s status is unconfirmed. Adele Lim has teased that fans of the original films can expect “a lot of fun returns” from other cast members. A release date has not been announced, and the film has not been officially greenlit. But it is coming. It is really, actually coming.

And while you wait for Genovia to call, the Disney cinematic universe has been keeping us well fed with other content worth celebrating. If you are in the mood for more Disney magic, check out our coverage of the live-action Moana and our ongoing Disney coverage hub right here at The Game of Nerds.

Happy Anniversary, Genovia

Twenty-five years is a long time for a movie to hold onto the hearts of its audience. Most films do not manage it. The Princess Diaries managed it because it told the truth in the most charming possible way: that being yourself is terrifying, that growing into who you are supposed to be takes time and help and a whole lot of falling down, and that somewhere out there, there might be a grandmother with impeccable posture and a European accent who believes in you completely. It is a fairy tale, yes. But it is a fairy tale about something real.

Here is to 25 years of Mia Thermopolis, Queen of our hearts. Here is to Garry Marshall and Whitney Houston, who are no longer with us but whose fingerprints are on every frame of this film. Here is to Julie Andrews, who came back to cinema and gave us something we did not know we needed. Here is to Anne Hathaway, who was a teenager auditioning for a Disney movie and became a star.

And here is to Princess Diaries 3. We will be waiting, Genovia. Take all the time you need. We are not going anywhere.

The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement are both streaming on Disney Plus.