The One Other Character 'Princess Diaries 3' Needs

The princess of Genovia could soon be back to reclaim her throne. Gary Marshall — the director of The Princess Diaries and its sequel The Princess Diaries: Royal Engagement— spoke to People about an upcoming threequel. Specifically, he spoke to people about the fact that Anne Hathaway wants to do Princess Diaries 3. According to Marshall, Princess Mia Thermopolis might find herself in New York this time around. “I was with Anne Hathaway a couple weeks ago, it looks like we want to do Princess Diaries 3 in Manhattan,” he said to the magazine. “Anne Hathaway is very pregnant, so we have to wait until she has the baby and then I think we’re going to do it.” But wait. All this exciting confirmation aside, one pretty pivotal question for fans of the franchise remains: Will Chris Pine be back for The Princess Diaries 3?

Pine, who played Mia’s love interest, Lord Nicholas Devereaux, in Royal Engagement could — and should — be a part of this installment. In case you missed it, back in January Chris Pine took part in a (very) important Q&A on Tumblr. A fan of his asked "Don't you pray every night for a Princess Diaries 3??? BECAUSE I DO." (Quick shout out to this fan's enthusiasm.) Naturally, Pine replied in the most charming of ways, with a follow-up question: "Have you been reading my diary???" And, just like that, across the world, a thousand hearts fluttered. And that fan probably passed out from sheer excitement.

Marshall seemed especially open to the return of Pine, when he suggested that we shouldn't rule out the possibility. “Maybe,” Marshall said. “He’s quite big now, you know.” Yeah, we know. All the more reason to bring him back, Marshall! Gosh, where have you been?

Though the final book penned by Meg Cabot centers around the marriage of Mia and Michael (her love interest in the first film played by Robert Schwartzman), it wouldn't really make sense for Mia to get back with Michael in the film series, and it wouldn't really make sense for viewers to be introduced to another love interest for her. One, because Mia and Devereaux's chemistry was royally magnificent. And, two, because after 12 years, we need to see some familiar faces. One of the biggest pulls to this — and any, really — threequel is the nostalgia factor. What I'm really trying to say is, Pine is what the people want. And so Pine is what the people should have.

I mean, no pressure, but like, make it happen.

Images: Disney; Giphy (2)