Anne Hathaway 1st prominent role was in Disney's family comedy The Princess Diaries starring opposite Julie Andrews, which established Hathaway' career.More about The Princess Diaries...
The Princess Diaries is a comedy-drama film and the screen adaptation of Meg Cabot's 2000 novel of the same name. The film stars Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis, a teenager who discovers that she is the heir to the throne of the fictional Genovia, ruled by her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi, who is portrayed by Julie Andrews. It also stars Heather Matarazzo as Mia's best friend Lilly Moscovitz, Héctor Elizondo as Renaldi's head of security, and Robert Schwartzman as Lilly's brother, who has a crush on Mia.
It was released to North American theatres on August 3, 2001 and peaked at number three in the box office. The Princess Diaries produced ticket sales well over its production budget.
The film was directed by Garry Marshall and produced by Debra Martin Chase and Whitney Houston. Anne Hathaway was hired for the role of Mia because Gary Marshall's granddaughters saw her audition tape and said she had the best "princess hair."
Héctor Elizondo, who appears in all the films which Garry Marshall directs, plays Joseph "Joe", the head of Genovian security. Garry Marshall's daughter, Kathleen Marshall, plays Clarisse's secretary Charlotte Kutaway. Charlotte's surname is mentioned only in the credits, and Garry Marshall says it is a reference to how she is often used in cutaway shots. In one scene, Robert Schwartzman's real-life group Rooney makes a cameo playing a garage band named Flypaper, whose lead singer is Michael, played by Schwartzman.
The book was set in NYC, but the film's location was changed to San Francisco because Marshall's granddaughters lived there. West coast radio personalities Mark & Brian appear as themselves.
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, the film's sequel, was released in August 2004.
