No more “Stupid Cupid” and sabotaging Mia Thermopolis, Mandy Moore wants her Princess Diaries character to have more depth — if she gets asked to return for the third movie.
“I would be game,” Moore, 41, said during the Thursday, July 17, episode of the “Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce” podcast, when asked if she wanted to be part of Princess Diaries 3.
The actress revealed that she “heard” there was an idea that her character, high school mean girl Lana Thomas, would “make a bit of a cameo” in the upcoming movie, but she hadn’t heard anything else in “months.”
If Lana does reunite with her former schoolmate Mia (Anne Hathaway), who is now Queen of Genovia, Moore hopes she’s left behind her mean girl ways.
“I would love for there to be some sort of redemptive story line,” Moore shared. “Maybe my character is working at an animal rescue. Hopefully she’s made something good of her life.”
She mused, “She’s sort of come around and she’s actually a good person. She peaked in high school and maybe that gave her some [humble pie].”
Host Kylie Kelce was totally on board with the idea, adding Lana working at a “nonprofit” could be brilliant. “She got humbled after high school and now she’s doing great,” Kelce, 33, teased.
“That’s what I’m hoping for if I return. Stay tuned,” Moore responded. “We’re manifesting it.”
Moore starred alongside Hathaway, 42, in the 2001 rom-com as teen rivals Lana and Mia. While Lana was the cool girl who sang “Stupid Cupid” at the infamous beach party in the film, it was nerdy Mia who learned she was a princess and instantly became popular overnight.
In the end, Mia learned that being royalty isn’t always great after Lana pretended to be her friend and later sabotaged her at the beach. Ultimately, Mia embraced being a princess and a nerd with the help of her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews).
Hathaway and Andrews, 89, returned for the film’s 2004 sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, where Mia became queen — even without being married.
In the two decades since, fans have been clamoring for a third installment of the fun franchise. In October 2024, Hathaway announced that dreams do come true as she was reprising her role as Mia in a third movie.
“Miracles happen ✨👑 Back to Genovia with @adeleblim @disney @somewherepictures,” Hathaway wrote via Instagram at the time. “The fairy tale continues ❤️🔥.”
