Mandy Moore is 'so down' to return for 'The Princess Diaries 3,' with a twist

“The Princess Diaries 3” is in the works, and "This Is Us" actress Mandy Moore is down to reprise her role as high-school mean girl Lana Thomas. 

“I would so be down,” she told USA TODAY while speaking recently about RSV season. “There needs to be some sort of redemptive arc for her.”

Anne Hathaway confirmed she would be making a royal return to Genovia as Princess Mia Thermopolis back in October 2024. The upcoming prequel is the third installment of the beloved series, following 2001's "The Princess Diaries" and the 2004 sequel "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement." Moore revealed during the July 17 episode of the “Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce” podcast that she “heard” there was an idea for her character to return, but she hasn’t received any updates since. 

Moore's character, Lana, was a constant bully to Mia before using the princess's newfound royal status to her advantage. In the first film, Lana’s final appearance is being called a “jerk” by Mia. But in the book series that the film is based on, Lana apologizes and the pair eventually become good friends. 

Moore envisions her character behaving a little differently this time around. 

“Maybe she peaked in high school and had a real, like, come-to-Jesus moment post-college,” Moore theorized. “Like, something happened in her life and she’s just turned it all around, and she’s a lovely human now.”

Mandy Moore is ‘a fan’ of nostalgia content

The growing trend of decades-late prequels and sequels has been coined as “nostalgia farming,” in which people's fond memories of the past are leveraged to promote products or services. Look to “Freakier Friday” (2025) and reboots of 2000s-era childhood TV shows like “iCarly” and “Wizards of Waverly Place,” for example.

In August 2025, Time magazine published the headline: “‘Freakier Friday’ Is Humiliating to Everyone Involved,” with film critic Stephanie Zacharek calling the “nostalgia glut” bad for the film industry and viewers alike. 

But Moore doesn’t have a problem with nostalgia content, especially if it adds something new or takes a “slightly different direction" from the source.

“Honestly, there’s so much happening in the world. Whatever is going to bring us joy and comfort at this point, I have no qualms with,” she says. “There’s nothing that feels quite as good as pushing that nostalgia button. ... I find nothing wrong with it.” 

It’s all about balance, she adds, and making sure there’s new entertainment as well. But still, she’s a “fan of it.” 

“There’s something nice about tapping back into that side of your life,” Moore says.