“Absolutely Earth-Shattering” Chris Pine Details How The Princess Diaries 2 Changed His Life

Summary

• The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement
  changed Chris Pine’s life with a $65,000 salary, making him realize his potential.
• Pine’s breakout role in the film led to his success, setting the stage for bigger roles in Hollywood, like Captain Kirk in
  Star Trek
  .
• The success of
  The Princess Diaries
  franchise, including rumors of a third film, has left fans excited for what’s to come in the future.

Chris Pine explains how The Princess Diaries 2 changed his life for the better. Following up the breakout Anne Hathaway hit The Princess Diaries in 2001, The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement was released three years later in 2004. Pine played the role of Nicholas Devereaux, one of Princess Mia’s top potential suitors after she is declared to marry within 30 days.

Speaking on Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist (via Variety), Pine details the extent to which The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement changed his life. The actor explained the experience getting the call for the job. His agent told him “you’re getting paid $65,000,” which felt like “an absolutely earth-shattering” salary for the young actor. Pine went on to say that he had just recently “had an overdraft in [his] bank account,” so this money felt especially massive. Check out the full quote from Pine below:

It was the height of summer and I was getting off at Magnolia. I was on my little Verizon tiny little flip phone, my silver one and I got a call from my agents that I booked the job. I pulled over onto the side of the freeway and they said, ‘You’re getting paid $65,000,’ and it was like they had just told me I’d made $50 million. It was absolutely earth-shattering.

I had an overdraft in my bank account, it was like $400 over. I was gonna have to ask my parents for money, and I got that $65,000 and I just remembered distinctly knowing in that moment that my life had changed somehow. That lasted no time at all, and I owed my parents rent money. But that is a wild feeling. I’ll never forget that.

What Is Next for The Princess Diaries Franchise?

Though Pine is considered an A-lister now, his status was a lot different back then. In 2004, Pine had just barely begun his acting career, having acted in three one-off TV episodes for ER, The Guardian, and CSI: Miami. The Princess Diaries 2, as evidenced by his story, was thus a gigantic breakout role for him. Following that film, he went on to receive a number of other film roles. In 2009, he had another notable career move when he broke out into the Hollywood mainstream by playing Captain Kirk in Star Trek.

The Princess Diaries duology also made a star out of Hathaway, whose career was lifted by the films. Both movies remain classic to many today. Both The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2 did well in theaters, with the first grossing $165.3 million worldwide and the second film taking in $134.7 million. Given their successes, The Princess Diaries 3 has long been rumored.

For a while, it was looking like The Princess Diaries 3 might not happen, despite news on script progress. In November 2022, however, The Princess Diaries 3 was officially confirmed to be in development. Former star Hathaway recently said that the production is “in a good place,” seemingly confirming the production on the sequel that had been announced over a year prior. Hathway did not officially confirm her involvement, as no stars for The Princess Diaries 3 have officially been announced. Hathaway’s recent Princess Diaries 3 discourse, however, suggests that the future is bright for the film.

Source: Variety