'Princess Diaries 3' Might Be Happening — UPDATE

Update: According to EW, a source close to Disney has reportedly denied rumors of The Princess Diaries 3 being in the works. Disney has not released any official comment as of yet, but this update is still majorly disappointing. Princess Diaries re-watch, anyone?

Previous: Shut. Up. Could it be true that the film that made the world fall in love with Anne Hathaway is getting another sequel? According to Hollywood insider website Tracking Board, there are reports that Princess Diaries 3 is happening over at Disney, but nothing is confirmed just yet, none of the original cast have signed on, and production is most certainly not even under way yet. However, just the possibility that Princess Diaries 3 might be a thing is a lot more than we've gotten since the lackluster 2004 sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Not even Chris Pine could save a film in which Mia suddenly, abruptly, and bizarrely has to get married in order to ascend the Genovian throne and, even more suddenly, abruptly, and bizarrely, has broken up with Michael permanently despite the fact that they were, at the time, still happily together in the books. Still, even with that plot snag, there are still a lot of ways to breathe new life back into this franchise.

For those who willfully forgot (like myself), Mia had Genovia's law on royal families abolished, and was officially crowned Queen of Genovia on her own merits. She and Chris Pine aka Nicholas begin dating and, later on, she has female members installed in the formerly sexist Genovian government and even opens a children's home. So, really, if Princess Diaries 3 were to continue Mia's story, it would have to be called Queen Diaries 3.

Or Disney could just explore one of these seven options. I'll even be nice and graciously allow them to do so without paying me.

1. Follow Mia's Daughter

After the end of Princess Diaries 2, Mia is in a perfect place to have had a daughter in the intervening years if she wanted to. Disney could cater the third film to an even younger audience, and have Mia trying desperately to be a good parent to a young princess, while receiving help from her grandmother and her mother. They could call it Princess Diaries 3: Legacy.

2. Follow A Young Julie Andrews

Instead of a sequel, why not make the third movie a prequel? Forget all about that Mia girl; let's see what life was like for her grandmother growing up. Before she was a queen, Clarisse was obviously a princess, and, for all of her class and decorum as an adult, she might have been every bit as rebellious and insecure as Mia was. There's a reason the two found some common ground and became so close by the end of the first film, you know. Imagine Bad Girl Clarisse. Imagine it!

3. Follow Mia's Unknown Relatives

An upcoming Princess Diaries book series follows Olivia Grace, Mia's long-lost half-sister. Is it too early for Disney to be thinking about adapting that into a new film series? After all, Anne Hathaway might be too busy to commit to a full film as Mia, but she could certainly cameo as the shocked Queen of Genovia trying to figure out what to do with this new relative she's never heard of.

4. Follow Lilly Moscovitz

Mia's best friend has a life too, you know. Perhaps we could follow Lilly as she tries to become a princess the Kate Middleton way: marrying into the royal family. Or, even better, as she becomes a princess completely by accident, and reluctantly, and complaining about it the entire time, and also liveblogging it because she refuses to sell out just for a fancy tiara.

5. Follow Other Princesses

Surely, as the Queen of Genovia, Mia will have made other royal friends between movies. Perhaps this new film could introduce, and then follow, one of Mia's close princess friends who has problems of her own in her own fictional country, and is trying hard to learn the kind of poise and gravitas that Mia commands so effortlessly. (I know, I know, Mia. I'm shutting up.)

6. Remake The Series Entirely

Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway might be ready to move on, and that's OK. Perhaps it's time to completely revamp the series with new actresses, and make it more closely adhere to the novels. That might be a bit sad, since Queen Clarisse in the movie was nothing like she is in the books, but, hey. At least we get Michael back.

7. Leave It Alone

Who am I kidding? GIVE US A THIRD PRINCESS DIARIES RIGHT NOW.

Image: Disney; Getty Images (7)