Julie Andrews gives update on her appearance in The Princess Diaries 3
She portrays Queen Clarisse in the first two
Last updated 2 hours ago
Dame Julie Andrews is one of the most beloved British performers of all time. Winning her way into our hearts as Mary Poppins and Maria in The Sound of Music, she cemented her status as a national treasure with plenty of other starring roles throughout her career.
But it was her turn as Queen Clarisse Renaldi in the silver screen adaptations of teenage novels The Princess Diaries alongside a then-up-and-coming Anne Hathaway that truly placed her on a pedestal among the millennial generation.
So with the news that a long-awaited third Princess Diaries film was in the works following the 2001 original and the sequel in 2004, fans were - of course - thrilled to know that Anne would be back as Mia Thermopolis... But many of us were more intrigued to know whether Julie would be reprising her role.
And now it seems as though she has given a pretty clear confirmation on the fact - but brace yourselves, it won't be the news you'll be wanting to hear...
Is Julie Andrews going to be in The Princess Diaries 3?
We're sorry to be the bearers of bad news, but... No, it doesn't look like she will be. Speaking to US publication TODAY.com, Julie broke hearts all over the world when she said she won't be returning to the franchise.
She said: "I’m not going to be in it. I think the story is slightly different, and I’m not quite sure how they’re dealing with that. But it’s too late for me to do it. I think the story has to continue in Princess Mia. It’s her story. It’s not really mine."
Sob!
She also gave another interview to InStyle where she shared similar sentiments: "I think I’m retired, really, would be about the best description for that. They asked me all last year if I would be keen to do it. It was very very hard to say 'no', but I did because I thought I had a wonderful ride, and this one I felt would flourish very well and wouldn’t need Granny going in there at my age."
That sounds pretty definitive, doesn't it? But we can still hope that it's merely a misdirection...
Scroll through to see which films have been released this year and which are coming out soon:
Camp Rock 3
Release date: 13th August 2026
Jonas Brothers Joe, Nick and Kevin will reprise their roles as Connect 3 members Shane Gray, Nate Gray, and Jason Gray in Camp Rock, as Disney have confirmed a third movie is now filming! Although it doesn't look like Demi Lovato will appear in the third movie, she will be an executive producer.
Find out all about Camp Rock 3 here.
Sense and Sensibility
Release date: 25th September 2026
Jane Austen's beloved novel Sense and Sensibility will be receiving another big screen adaptation, following the renowned 1995 version featuring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. This film sees Daisy Edgar-Jones take on the role of elder sister Elinor Dashwood, with Esmé Creed-Miles portraying Marianne Dashwood. Supporting cast comes in the form of Walking Dead star Frank Dillane as John Willoughby, 1917's George MacKay as Edward Ferrars and Harry Potter star Fiona Shaw as Mrs. Jennings.
The Cat in the Hat
Release date: 6th November 2026
A new adaptation of The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss is on the way - this time, an animated version. Starring Bill Hader as the voice of the Cat, we've also got Matt Berry as the Fish and America Ferrera as the Mother, with Quinta Brunson and Giancarlo Esposito also in the cast. The official synopsis reads: 'In the film, our hero takes on his toughest assignment yet for the I.I.I.I. (Institute for the Institution of Imagination and Inspiration, LLC): to cheer Gabby and Sebastian, a pair of siblings struggling with their move to a new town. Known for taking things too far, this could be this agent of chaos's last chance to prove himself...or lose his magical hat!'
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Release date: 20th November 2026
Sunrise on the Reaping is the sixth film in The Hunger Games series, coming after The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and taking place 24 years before 2012's The Hunger Games. In this film, we'll see a lot of characters we knew in the original trilogy earlier on in their stories and therefore being played by younger actors. Official press from Lionsgate says of the premise: 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will revisit the world of Panem 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.'
Focker In-Law
Release date: 25th November 2026
In Focker In-Law, Greg and Pam Focker's adult son, Henry, reveals he is engaged to Olivia, a formidable former FBI hostage negotiator. This instalment flips the franchise's familiar dynamic: Greg is no longer the anxious outsider, but a wary, overprotective father who suspects his son's fiancée may be completely wrong for him.
According to Esquire, he said: "What spurred the idea is that I'm the age that Bob (Robert De Niro) was when we did the first movie. It felt like a mirror to the first film, where one of my kids is thinking about introducing his person to the family." We've got Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson reprising their roles, as well as new characters played by Ariana Grande and Beanie Feldstein.
Narnia: The Magician's Nephew
Release date: 26th November 2026
Acclaimed director Greta Gerwig is putting together a brand new adaptation of the classic C. S. Lewis books, The Chronicles of Narnia. This time, we will see the first book in the series - The Magician's Nephew - brought to the big screen, unlike the last series of films based on the novels in the 2000s. We'll see Daniel Craig play Andrew Ketterley alongside Sex Education's Emma Mackey as Jadis, the White Witch, and Carey Mulligan as the mother of Digory Kirke - the eponymous Magician's Nephew.
Jumanji: Open World
Release date: 11th December 2026
The fifth film in the Jumanji franchise (and third of the rebooted films) will be released around Christmas in 2026. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black and Kevin Hart are all reprising their roles as the four main characters, and Sony even shared a photo of them on the set (pictured) in November 2025! The Rock also posted about production beginning in November on Instagram, writing: 'Officially kicking off production of JUMANJI, at our cast table read in Los Angeles - where we will film as well 👏🏾👏🏾 🥂
'What a massive, fun, heartfelt adventure. Feels emotionally appropriate for our beloved JUMANJI franchise to end on this beautiful grace note of our final film. Amazing to get the whole gang back together, and our jaws were hurting from laughing so hard 😂😂 We all talked about how much we've missed this kinda joy and fun 🥹😊 🤜🏾🤛🏻 Let's make a good one. The significance of the 🎲 (dice) in the last picture, is a little Easter egg that my character, Dr. Smolder Bravestone wears on a necklace in our final film. It's the dice from the original 1995 JUMANJI and a way of paying homage, love and respect to the great Robin Williams ✨.' (sic)
Avengers: Doomsday
Release date: 18th December 2026
Not too much has been said about the plot of Avengers: Doomsday just yet, but a huge cast announcement was made to confirm which characters would be appearing: Chris Hemsworth, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Kelsey Grammer, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Joseph Quinn, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hiddleston, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, and Robert Downey Jr.
Dune: Part Three
Release date: 18th December 2026
Director Denis Villeneuve spoke about making the third film all the way back in October 2024, telling Deadline: "I think it'll be a great idea to do something completely different. The story takes place like 12 years after where we left the characters at the end of Part Two. Their journey, their story is different this time, and that's why I always say that while it's the same world it's a new film with new circumstances." Starring in this film will be Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides and Robert Pattinson.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Following the series three finale in September 2025, Prime Video confirmed there will be a The Summer I Turned Pretty to conclude Belly's story! There's no release date just yet.
Find out all about The Summer I Turned Pretty here.
Grown Ups 3
Adam Sandler has officially confirmed Grown Ups 3 is coming to Netflix over 13 years after the last instalment. The comedy threequel will be directed by Kyle Newacheck, who helmed Happy Gilmore 2, with Sandler and Tim Herlihy co-writing the script. The cast hasn't been announced yet, though fans hope the original gang will return. No release date has been revealed yet.
The original 2010 film starred Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Rob Schneider, and Sandler as childhood friends reuniting over a 4th July weekend.
Shrek 5
Release date: June 2027
It was announced in 2024 that Shrek 5 is officially happening - a massive 14 years after the last instalment - Shrek Forever After. Filming is underway with an official trailer out now. Initially set for a summer release in 2026, Shrek 5 will now arrive in cinemas next June following multiple delays, with Minions 3 being moved earlier and taking the flick's original spot.
The Housemaid's Secret
Release date: 17th December 2027
Millie Calloway is back for sequel The Housemaid's Secret — so that means trouble isn't far behind — and something ominous is stirring behind those polished doors again. Lionsgate quietly lined up a fresh chapter in its twisty thriller saga, once more pairing its breakout lead with the team who turned a straightforward housekeeping gig into a full-on psychological car crash.
The Grinch sequel
On 18th June, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Universal and Imagine Entertainment are developing a sequel to 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with Jim Carrey in talks to reprise his role as the iconic green Grinch, and Ron Howard returning to direct. Ron will produce alongside his Imagine partner Brian Grazer. The untitled sequel's script is being written by Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel, who previously worked together on 2003's The Cat in the Hat. No release date has been set yet.
The Princess Diaries 3
After years and YEARS of speculation, we finally got the news in late 2024 about The Princess Diaries franchise that we'd been hoping for - a third film was happening. Anne Hathaway is reprising her role as Princess Mia Thermopolis Renaldi - but Julie Andrews broke hearts all over the world when she confirmed in August 2026 that she would not be returning as Queen Clarisse.
James Bond
There is not much to be said about the upcoming James Bond film just yet - there's no confirmed release date, no whiff of a story... And most importantly, no actor cast as 007. However, producer Amy Pascal revealed in August 2026 that film bosses might have an answer for us on that front before the end of the year. Fingers crossed!
Britney Spears biopic
A Britney Spears biopic based on the singer's memoir, The Woman In Me, is reportedly in development, with New Girl creator Liz Meriwether adapting the screenplay and Wicked's director Jon M. Chu at the helm.
Cheetah Girls
The Cheetah Girls are clawing their way back to our screens - and this time they're bringing a new generation with them. Disney Channel and Disney+ have greenlit Cheetah Girls: Next Gen, with Raven-Symoné and Adrienne Bailon returning to lead the pack, while a fresh teen cast joins the franchise for a new adventure.