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On the Set of 'The Princess Diaries' Sequel
submitted by: Lisa D.
source: Variety
Date: February 18, 2004
Just For Variety
THE SETTING IS GENOVIA --- but Disney's "The Princess Diaries II" is being shot on the Disney Ranch in Newhall, a mansion home and church in Pasadena, Leo Carrillo State Beach, the campus at USC and on European Street and five stages at Universal (the Disney lot is loaded). As I arrived at Stage 22, I was greeted by Debra Martin Chase (who produces with Whitney Houston, and Mario Iscovich, with Ellen Schwartz as exec producer-first assistant) with, "Everyone is so grateful we are shooting here in town." The first "Diaries was also lensed here and was an enormous success, $108 million domestic B.O . It cost $36 million. The sequel's budget is a little higher. Disney, noting the impact of the Princess Mia character as played by breathtakingly beautiful Anne Hathaway is rushing out a line of dolls to match in time for the summer release of the sequel. To make the Hollywood-for-Genovia transformation, production designer winged in from vacation in Santo Pietro to again demonstrate his movie magic...
Inside Stage 22 I found the very regal Queen Clarisse, Julie Andrews, in the throne room receiving her subjects with director Garry Marshall ringmastering the intricate proceedings with additions of gag "peasants", such as gag writer Marty Nadler, bearing fake flowers --- Julie hates fake flowers. "They (the cast) never knows what's going to happen," Marshall asided to me, "it keeps 'em alert." In a break between takes, Julie (she was up at 5:30 for her call) and I talk of her very full and happy life --- the most "thrilling" for her is the fact husband Blake Edwards will receive an honorary Oscar this year. Andrews enumerated the many different types of films that bear Blake's remarkable imprint --- many of which she starred in. "The entire family will be coming," she exuded. And no, Oscar-winner Andrews will not be a part of the show. "This is his night," she beamed. Julie, meanwhile, is busier than ever. A fourth Julie and Carol Burnett special teaming on CBS is being readied for the summer. Will Julie finally sing? It's possible. We'll hear her voice in "Shrek 2" as the Queen to King John Cleese. She'll be heard in one of her (10-a-year) speaking engagements, Wednesday at the Annenberg Center Theater in Rancho Mirage. She's readying to direct "The Boy Friend" at Goodspeed in 2005 and ready if it eventually goes to Broadway. Her imprint with Harper Collins (The Julie Andrews Collection) is readying "The Legend of Holly Claus," written by Julie with daughter Emma, and next "Dragon," the start (800 pages) of a trilogy by Brittney Ryan...
Between takes I also talk with Anne Hathaway who, while appearing properly princess-like in the Disney film, tells me Disney may not be so happy with her upcoming film, "Havoc" for director Barbara Kopple. It's set in East L.A. and Hathaway admits the action and language is definitely R-rated. "It's like a 'Rebel With a Cause'," she noted. In the "Princess" sequel one of Hathaway's swains (does he marry her? Stay tuned) is the handsome Chris Pine, son of thesp Howard Pine of "CHIPS." Disney has signed him for two more films. Meanwhile, he's also completed another film, "The Younger Bulls," directed and produced by Eric Stoltz. Hathaway and Pine assure me they are not an item off screen although so noted in mags. "I never date the men with whom I'm working," she assures me....
Raven, alumna of "The Cosby Show" has a cameo in "Princess Diaries" and will appear in producer Chase's "All American Girl" for Disney...
It's all in the family on this Garry Marshall movie: his wife, Barbara, plays Lady Jerome in Julie's court; son Scott is second unit director and plays a Royal Security Guard named "Shades"; Elissa Marshall, Scott's wife is a member of the wedding party; Sam Marshall, 10 month(!) old son of Scott and Elissa and grandson of Garry, is the ring-bearer in the wedding sequence; Kathleen Marshall, Garry's daughter, reprises her role as Charlotte, Queen Clarisse's right hand; Lori Marshall, Garry's daughter, plays a teacher; Lily and Charlotte Marshall Fricker, Garry's granddaughters (Lori's daughters) play princesses---and do a little dance. ("My mother, who was a dance teacher, said every movie should have some dance in it," Garry said). They demonstrated for me. Tracy Reiner, Garry's niece, (Penny's daughter) plays Lady Anthony. And talking music, Garry still hopes to stage the musicalized "Happy Days" on his Falcon Theater stage in Burbank. I left the studio humming a merry tune.
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