Disney Reportedly Eyeing Zendaya For 'Princess Diaries 3' Role

Zendaya may be eyeing up a role in another major franchise, this time in Disney's Princess Diaries 3. It's been over 20 years since Disney released a Princess Diaries film, but the studio is actively working on a third movie. Anne Hathaway is confirmed to return in her role as Mia Thermopolis, a teenager who unexpectedly becomes the heir to the fictional European country of Genovia.

Princess Diaries 3 is still in the development stage, with Hathaway producing and starring, and Adele Lim directing. The movie received a brief update at Disney's D23 presentation in August, and now a new casting rumor suggests things are moving quickly on the legacy sequel. Entertainment scooper Daniel Richtman shared with his X subscribers that Disney is eyeing Zendaya for a role in Princess Diaries 3.

This would be just one of several franchises Zendaya has been part of, including, most recently, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the upcoming Dune Part Three. She is also set for a voice role in the upcoming Shrek 5 and is reportedly being eyed for a role in the Bourne franchise as well. She and Hathaway also recently shared the screen in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

The rumor doesn't specify what role Zendaya would play if she were to join Princess Diaries 3, and plot details for the movie have been kept under wraps. However, adding a star like Zendaya, who is incredibly popular right now, could give the movie an even bigger boost with audiences, particularly drawing in the younger demographic who may not be as familiar with the franchise. 

Disney debuted an official logo for The Princess Diaries 3 at D23, where Hathaway also reassured audiences they are "working so hard on getting Princess Diaries 3 right." 

Apart from Hathaway, no other Princess Diaries cast members have been confirmed for the threequel, although several have expressed interest in reprising their roles. However, Julie Andrews, who starred as Mia's grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi, has shared that she will not be returning.

The Princess Diaries 3 is one of several legacy sequels Disney is reviving after decades away. Earlier in the year, Hathaway reprised her role as Andy in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which earned Disney a huge box-office return, suggesting the appetite for these movies is strong and that Princess Diaries 3 will be a priority for the studio. 

What Could Zendaya's Role in Princess Diaries 3 Be?

Apart from confirmation that The Princess Diaries 3 will be a sequel rather than a reboot, little is known about the direction of the Disney threequel, so Zendaya's potential role is purely speculative right now.

The second film saw Mia take over as Queen of Genovia from her grandmother, Clarisse (Julie Andrews), and find love with Nicholas (Chris Pine). Over 20 years have passed since The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement, which would place Mia in her 40s, and decades into her rule of Genovia. 

No doubt there's plenty that has changed in that time, and The Princess Diaries 3 has room to reveal whether things worked out between Mia and Nicholas, if Mia ever had children of her own, and how she is handling life as Queen. Zendaya would be the right age to play Mia's child if the film goes in that direction, though some speculate she could be playing Mia's half-sister or another family member instead. 

Now that Mia has gone through the training to be a princess herself, it seems like a logical path would be to have her pass on her learnings to the next generation, in which Zendaya's new character could be her subject. Perhaps there will be a story reason that Hathaway's character needs to pass the baton, and she is tasked with training her successor. 

Zendaya's place in the zeitgeist as one of the most popular young actors makes her ripe to take on the mantle of the franchise should Disney want to do more Princess Diaries films after this third one.