These films starring iconic leading ladies could be making a comeback very soon.
Who doesn’t remember shy girl Mia’s makeover scene from The Princess Diaries? Or Miranda Priestly’s judging stares? Elle Woods’ sharp wit and pretty in pink attitude? The bickering mother and daughter duo in Freaky Friday?
If you grew up on films like these, you may be happy to find out that they all have sequels in the works. Here’s everything you need to know about the next installment of these movies.
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The Devil Wears Prada 2
A few days ago, Puck reported that the highly anticipated sequel to The Devil Wears Prada is finally in the works. Disney is developing the next installment of the hit 2006 movie which originally starred Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci.
As a follow up to the trending story, Entertainment Weekly exclusively revealed that the first film’s major stars are all in talks to join the sequel, along with director David Frankel and producer Wendy Finerman.
The film’s original screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna is also working on the sequel’s screenplay. According to the reports, the storyline in discussion focuses on Streep’s character Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of Runway magazine. The character is “at the end of her career, facing the decline of traditional magazine publishing.”
The film’s cast has had several reunions over the years where they sometimes spoke about the possibility of a sequel. In 2021, EW hosted an online round table for the 15-year anniversary where the original novel’s author Lauren Weisberger said a sequel wasn’t “out of the realm of possibility” and that there have been a lot of conversations about it.
Last year, Hathaway and Blunt also reunited for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, where they reflected on their experience working with Streep. At this year’s SAG Awards, the three main stars gathered on stage to present an award together, making references from their movie.
The Princess Diaries 3
Also starring Anne Hathaway and being developed by Disney, the third installment of The Princess Diaries series is reportedly in the works.
In an interview with V magazine, Hathaway herself said “We’re in a good place, that’s all I can say. There’s nothing to announce yet. But we’re in a good place.”
Variety confirmed the development of the third movie back in November 2022 with screenwriter Aadrita Mukerji attached to the project. However, that same year, the movie’s original queen Julie Andrews told Access Hollywood that she was doubtful about returning to the beloved franchise.
Hathaway remains positive, telling Entertainment Tonight that they would make it work just to have Andrews in the film. Actors from the previous two movies like Chris Pine, Mandy Moore, and Heather Matarazzo have expressed their openness to returning to Genovia, San Francisco, or wherever else the developing story takes them.
Legally Blonde 3
Back in 2018, Elle Woods herself, Reese Witherspoon, confirmed that Legally Blonde 3 is coming. In the announcement video, the actress is wearing a pink sequin bikini and lounging on a pool float. The scene is a throwback to Elle’s Harvard video essay from the first movie.
It’s true… #LegallyBlonde3 pic.twitter.com/i9zBrUpRCp
— Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW) June 7, 2018
While there haven’t been many updates since then, we do know that Witherspoon enlisted actress Mindy Kaling and Emmy-winning comedy writer Dan Goor to work on the screenplay.
As for the cast, the original movies’ stars Jennifer Coolidge, Luke Wilson, and Selma Blair have all said they would be on board for the sequel.
On the Today show, Wilson said “I think everybody would be up for doing it. But Reese is such a sharp person and I think she just wants to make sure that the script is really good, if it gets done.”
Meanwhile, Prime Video recently announced a spin-off series which will be produced by Witherspoon’s media company Hello Sunshine. The series, titled Elle, is a prequel of the movies, following Elle Woods’ life in high school.
Freaky Friday 2
By far the farthest into production out of the movies in this list, Freaky Friday 2 is returning with both Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. In June this year, Disney posted a photo of the two actresses, stating that the sequel is currently in production.
While plot details haven’t been revealed yet, the film’s release date is already slated for 2025. Nisha Ganatra is directing the movie while Andrew Gunn is back as producer.
Cast members Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Rosalind Chao will also be returning for the sequel. The original cast will also be joined by newcomers Julia Butters, Manny Jacinto, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Sophia Hammons.
Lohan told Nightline that she has kept in contact with Curtis over the years. She added that it feels like they’ve never separated despite not seeing each other very often. The actress also shared that when returning to the Disney lot, she felt “this essence of a little kid again.”
Banner image via Instagram @legallyblondemovies.
