The Princess Switch 3 - What We Know So Far
Good things come in threes. That's why, following the success of 2018's "The Princess Switch" and the 2020 sequel, "The Princess Switch: Switched Again," Netflix is blessing us with a third movie in the popular franchise starring Vanessa Hudgens.
The films, which always debut on the streaming service around the holidays, find Hudgens portraying a trio of lookalikes who switch places. The first film featured the former "High School Musical" star as Stacy De Novo, a baker from Chicago, and a duchess named Lady Margaret. The second film, which finds Margaret suddenly inheriting the throne, ups the stakes by introducing a third lookalike for Hudgens to sink her teeth into: Lady Fiona, Margaret's scheming party-girl cousin.
Will the upcoming third film in the franchise introduce a fourth person for Hudgens to portray? We scoured the internet for all the information we could find on the film. So here's everything we know so far about "The Princess Switch 3."
What is the release date for The Princess Switch 3?
"The Princess Switch" films are part of Netflix's robust but obviously still growing slate of holiday programming, which also includes the popular "Christmas Prince" trilogy and Vanessa Hudgens' other beloved Netflix film, "The Knight Before Christmas." You can think of these movies as Netflix's answer to Hallmark's and Lifetime's holiday films, which have become increasingly popular over the years.
Filming on "The Princess Switch 3" took place earlier this year in Scotland and has already wrapped. Hudgens posted a photo on Instagram to commemorate the occasion. This means the movie is on target for release later this year. But when, exactly? Well, the first film was released on Netflix on November 16, 2018, while its sequel debuted nearly two years to the day, hitting the platform on November 19, 2020. So it stands to reason then that the third film will launch on the streaming service in November as well. However, Netflix has not yet announced a premiere date, and probably won't until we get much closer to fall.
Who is in the cast of The Princess Switch 3?
It wouldn't be a "Princess Switch" film without Vanessa Hudgens, who is confirmed to be reprising her roles as Princess Stacy, Queen Margaret, and Lady Fiona in the third film. However, it doesn't look like she'll be adding a fourth character this time around. "There will be still three of me, which is more than enough in my opinion," the actress told Pop Sugar in November.
According to Deadline, much of the cast from the second film is returning for the third. That naturally includes Sam Palladio ("Nashville") as Prince Edward, Stacy's husband, and Nick Sagar as Kevin, Stacy's best friend and the husband of Queen Margaret. Other returning cast members include Florence Hall (Mindy), Ricky Norwood (Reggie), Suanne Braun (Mrs. Donatelli), and Mark Fleischmann (Frank de Luca).
There are a few new actors joining the cast as well. Deadline reports that Will Kemp ("Spinning Out") will portray Hunter Cunard, "a suave and sophisticated international hotelier, with a particular interest in acquiring valuable antiques and rare artifacts." Meanwhile, Amanda Donohoe and Remy Hii have also joined the cast in undisclosed roles.
What is the plot of The Princess Switch 3?
With Princess Stacy and Queen Margaret receiving their happily-ever-afters during the first two films, "The Princess Switch 3" is free to turn its sights elsewhere, and it appears that means we'll be digging into Fiona's love life this time.
When a priceless relic goes missing (read: is stolen), Queen Margaret and Princess Stacy turn to rowdy cousin Fiona for help even though she literally just tried to take the throne in the previous film. Apparently that's not a big deal anymore, because Fiona is most definitely on the case. But in order to retrieve the relic, she must team up with a sexy man from her past, which naturally leads to the two rekindling the flame of romance and, according to Deadline, resulting "in a very unexpected switch."
It sounds like this mystery person is likely Will Kemp's character, given his particular interest in antiques and artifacts. But we'll have to wait until this holiday season to find out if that's the case.