Julie Andrews weighs in on the possibility of another 'Princess Diaries' film
Julie Andrews says it's unlikely there will be another "Princess Diaries" film, likely closing the book on the beloved royal teen comedy series.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of being honored with an AFI Life Achievement Award on Thursday, Andrews explained that many of her youngest fans don't know her from classics like "The Sound of Music" or "Mary Poppins."
"Young kids know me better from 'The Princess Diaries,'" the 86-year-old actor said.
Andrews played Queen Clarisse Renaldi in both the original 2001 "Princess Diaries" and the 2004 sequel, "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement."
The plot follows San Francisco resident Mia Thermopolis, played by Anne Hathaway, as she learns she is actually the princess of the small kingdom of Genovia. Andrews plays her regal grandmother who has to teach the American teenager to fit in to their royal family.
The films have had incredible staying power in the public psyche — even now, it is a popular trend on Tik Tok to use the audio from a scene that showed Mia getting a royal makeover and the final reveal.
However, Andrews said she didn't think it would be possible to make another film about the fictional Genovian royal family.
"I think it would be too late to do it now," she said. There had been talk of another film "many many years ago," but it never came to pass before director Garry Marshall's death in 2016, she said.
"(For) especially me, it’s too far down the line now to go back to it," she said. "It’s a lovely thought, but I don’t think it would probably be possible."
Related: Mandy Moore, Anne Hathaway celebrate 20 years of ‘The Princess Diaries’
When asked why she she was drawn to the original film, which is based on a book series by Meg Cabot, she said it was the "humor and the understanding of human nature."
She added that the late Marshall had been "incredibly generous" and she'd loved working with him.
"When I first met him ... he asked some fabulous questions, like, 'Where do you think Genovia is? What do you think Genovia is famous for?'" Andrews said.
"I said something idiotic like, 'The nuns in the country would’ve made lace and exported it, and maybe they’re famous for their very beautiful pear trees and their pears.' Well, we had pears all over the set and lace costumes. He embraced what everyone cared to offer."
In another interview with Vanity Fair, Andrews added that Marshall had also asked her where she thought Genovia might be located.
"And I said, ‘Oh, you’re asking me? Um, well …’ I harrumphed a bit and said, ‘Probably close to Spain, along the south of France,'" she said. "He couldn’t have been more darling. He was picking up on everything. ‘What do you like?’ I said, ‘I love real flowers, and I love my garden.’ So we had real flowers on the set, and every day fresh ones. It was lovely."
