Chris Pine is just as excited as fans are about The Princess Diaries 3.
“It could save the world,” Pine, 44, quipped during a Tuesday, October 8, interview on Today With Hoda & Jenna. When pressed by cohosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager for details about the film, the actor stated, “I don’t know anything.”
Bush Hager, 42, went on to note, “They can’t do Princess Diaries without you,” to which Pine responded, “Call Disney. Call [Disney CEO] Bob Iger.” He added: “Honestly, I don’t know anything about it. I think it’s fantastic.”
Pine made his big-screen debut in 2004’s The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement as Nicholas Devereaux, the love interest of Anne Hathaway’s Mia Thermopolis. While Nicholas originally follows his uncle’s plan to take the throne after Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews) steps down, Nicholas’ feelings for Mia change his mind, allowing her to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps as the country’s new queen.
While the sequel ends with Nicholas and Mia in love, fans are hoping to see Pine and Hathaway’s characters together again in the third film. “Anne as queen and chris as king consort in princess diaries 3, this or nothing,” one fan wrote via X on October 4, which Kotb, 60, and Bush Hager showed Pine on Tuesday. Another user tweeted, “CHRIS PINE ANSWER THE PHONE.”
One tweet that made both the Hoda & Jenna cohosts and Pine giggle read, “If they have to drag Chris Pine by his man bun & Boost Mobile flip phone to the set of Princess Diaries SO BE IT 😤.”
Pine revealed that he ditched his man bun hairstyle after receiving a funny comment from his publicist. “The last time I grew my hair out long, [she] said I looked like Rachel from Friends,” he joked, referring to Jennifer Aniston’s iconic hairstyle from the sitcom. “There’s a point in time when I feel like I’m really rocking it and I feel really good about it, and then, I’ll have a moment when I look in the mirror and I’ll remember Melissa Kates saying, “God, you look like Rachel from Friends.’”
After years of speculation, Hathaway, 41, confirmed earlier this month that The Princess Diaries 3 is officially a go, with Adele Lim set to direct and herself set to return as Mia. “Miracles happen ✨👑Back to Genovia with @adeleblim @disney @somewherepictures,” she wrote via Instagram on October 4. “The fairy tale continues ❤️🔥.”
The film will mark the first Princess Diaries movie not directed by Garry Marshall, who died at age 81 in 2016. “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,” Lim said in a statement to Deadline. “We look forward to celebrating its core tenants of female power, joy and mentorship with audiences worldwide.”
No plot details or other casting announcements have been revealed, including if more of the franchise’s stars will return.
Pine — who has expressed his interest in reprising his role as Nicholas over the years — recently recalled being cast in The Princess Diaries 2.
“It was the height of summer and I was getting off at Magnolia. I was on my little Verizon tiny little flip phone, my silver one, and I got a call from my agents that I booked the job,” he shared during a May episode of Today. “I pulled over onto the side of the freeway and they said, ‘You’re getting paid $65,000.’ And it was like they had just told me I’d made $50 million. It was absolutely earth-shattering.”
He continued: “I got that $65,000 and I just remember distinctly knowing in that moment that my life had changed somehow, even though $60,000 at the end of the day turned out to be about $15,000.”
