How to Soothe Your ‘Princess Diaries 3’ Disappointment

Earlier this week, the internet was bursting with the news that there might be a third Princess Diaries movie. The Princess Diaries, based on the bestselling YA series by Meg Cabot, follows Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway), a regular teenage girl who finds out she’s the princess of a small European country. Her grandmother, Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews), helps her navigate princess lessons before she’s officially presented to the world as Genovia’s Princess. The story was certainly Disney-fied for the movie; for instance, Clarisse was portrayed as a loveable, kind grandmother, rather than book Mia’s cocktail-swilling, Gitanes-smoking Grandmère. Personally, I think that Julie Andrews could have killed it (Julie Andrews can do anything she wants), but that was not the way.

The sequel, The Princess Diaries II: Royal Engagement, deviated far away from the books; set several years in the future, the plot revolves around Parliament’s requirement that Mia marry before taking her place as Genovia’s ruler. I don’t even recognize this one as a true installment (too far away from the books, y’all), but it’s been a fan favorite over the years thanks to Chris Pine’s role as the romantic lead.

When rumors of the first new Princess Diaries movie in eleven years spread, everyone started buzzing about the possibilities. Would Anne Hathaway return? Would it be another sequel? Or would the series be rebooted outright? Unfortunately, it seems that a source close to Disney told Entertainment Weekly that no such project was currently in development.

We know you’re feeling burned—luckily, there are a few ways you can soothe these feelings of betrayal.

• READ (OR RE-READ) THE PRINCESS DIARIES YA SERIES
  Ten books, no waiting! There’s so much in the books that gets lost in the translation to film. Mia is hilarious, Michael is a well-developed character with an actual personality, and, as mentioned above, Clarisse is sassy and amusingly over-the-top as Genovia’s dowager princess.
• RE-WATCH THE PRINCESS DIARIES
  An awesome, feel-good Disney movie. Bonus: there are so many details in that movie specific to the early 2000s, watching it is basically like time traveling. Mandy Moore as a mean girl! Erik von Detten as the school hottie! A soundtrack that includes people like Krystal, B*Witched, and Aaron Carter!
• LISTEN TO ROONEY
  Leading man Michael Moscovitz was played by Robert Schwartzman, formerly of the band Rooney. Most of the band joined him in the mechanic scene, where they can be seen performing the end of their first single, “Blueside.”
  

• READ FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCESS
  Meg Cabot graced us with another two books this year—when you’re done reading all ten original Princess Diaries titles, meet Mia’s half-sister, Olivia Grace, as she learns about her princess identity.
• READ ROYAL WEDDING
  After a seven year break, Cabot published a new installment in Mia’s story, this time an adult book. Royal Wedding is fanservice at its best: we get to see Mia and Michael’s happily ever after (minus some paparazzi issues and family drama); what happened to characters like Lilly, Tina, and Lana; and finally, JP getting punched in the face. Show me a person who didn’t want to see that happen.
• LISTEN TO OUR PRINCESS DIARIES INSPIRED PLAYLIST
  Inspired by Mia’s, Michael’s, and her mother Helen’s stellar music taste, here’s a playlist to listen to while raging at the world for giving you false hope and/or while you’re enjoying any of the above book titles.