NEED TO KNOW
- Meg Cabot offers ipromiseyoumedia a sneak peek at The Princess Diaries graphic novel
- Cabot reveals the graphic novel adaptation of her iconic ebook will protect the unique’s late ’90s setting
- The Princess Diaries: The Graphic Novel shall be launched April 7, 2026
When The Princess Diaries creator Meg Cabot’s mother began relationship certainly one of her academics, she knew she needed to write about it. Now, 25 years, over a dozen books and two films later, Cabot’s cringeworthy story has made her a family title.
The books grew to become two hit Princess Diaries films in 2001 and 2004, respectively, and there is a third on the best way, with Anne Hathaway returning as beloved outcast-turned-princess Mia Thermopolis. A brand new graphic novel adaptation additionally arrives within the spring to introduce the following technology of readers to Mia in all of her awkward glory.
If trying again on the Princess Diaries phenomenon has you feeling a little bit calendar whiplash, Cabot is true there too.
“I solely can consider it as a result of I meet readers who’ve grown up, and now have, like, jobs and youngsters and stuff, and are telling me they learn my books after they have been children,” she tells ipromiseyoumedia. “I am like, however I am not sufficiently old for that to have occurred, however apparently I’m.”
Her life — and the world — has modified a bit since she wrote the primary ebook, which got here out in 2000, whereas working as an assistant dorm supervisor at New York College. “When issues have been actually sluggish, I might simply work on this little ebook that I used to be doing a couple of lady who’s a princess, by no means considering it was gonna get revealed, however I at all times hoped that it could,” she explains. “And so I used to be actually shocked when it did, after which much more shocked after I bought the decision that it was being made right into a film, and directed by Garry Marshall at my job.”
The response to the ebook — by no means thoughts the movies — has been “insane.”
“After I walked into my first ebook signing and I noticed all these little, little ladies, like, with braces, they usually have been all actually quick, they usually have been holding the ebook, I am like, ‘oh my god, I wrote a ebook for youths,’ ” Cabot remembers. “After the film, I bought numerous mail, as a result of dad and mom rushed out they usually purchased the books, and the books had French kissing, and the film’s G, and the books are like, possibly PG — not even PG-13.”
These letters tapered off through the years, however because the graphic novel brings new readers on board, Cabot does marvel how her characters and their world shall be obtained this time round. Whereas Cabot loves the Disney model of the world she created as a lot as her personal, she and illustrator Bethany Crandall labored onerous to make sure the graphic novel stays true to the books and the time interval it is set inside — dial-up web, lack of cell telephones and all. Plus, ebook Mia is blonde.
“We simply thought it could be actually enjoyable to point out what it was like in these days, so I do not know if children as we speak shall be receptive to that,” she explains. “It was a fairly enjoyable time again in these late 90s, early 2000s.”
The brand new ebook, similar to the unique, would not draw back from subjects actual teenagers are speaking about and that is an intentional alternative, says Cabot.
“There are some lengthy discussions about shedding your virginity that the women have, which is a pertinent subject that we mentioned fairly a bit: who you’ll do it with and beneath what circumstances,” she explains. “I really feel like dad and mom ought to admire the truth that we’re placing it on the market and having these good position fashions for these children who can focus on it. That does not imply they’re gonna exit and do it, however they need to be prepared.”
She credit fellow Key West resident and “cultural icon” Judy Blume, creator of books like Are You There God? It is Me Margaret for laying the groundwork.
“I really like that she did that for us. Like, she simply laid it on the market, and he or she had no thought that individuals have been gonna discover it so controversial, as a result of to her, it is regular as an grownup to speak about issues with children and be open about it,” Cabot says. “I really feel that it is actually vital to simply normalize this stuff. Normalize French kissing! We have all performed it!”
As she appears ahead to a brand new crop of children getting grossed out on the thought of their mother kissing their instructor — “it at all times causes an enormous eruption of groans and other people being horrified, and so it’s sort of like remedy for me after I do speak to the children” — Cabot’s personal mother, Barbara, is watching with satisfaction.
She and the aforementioned instructor have been collectively for 20 extra years after the ebook got here out and though Barbara was not too long ago identified with dementia, she’s nonetheless her daughter’s largest fan — and The Princess Diaries is her favourite movie.
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“She is aware of that her daughter wrote these books, and he or she is aware of what the books are. She would not make the connection that I am her daughter, which is absolutely unhappy,” Cabot says. “So, in a means, going again to this mission was actually nice for me, as a result of it actually helped at a time after I was feeling emotionally susceptible and upset, to sort of present some consolation, even to me, as the author.”
And he or she hopes the brand new graphic novel, and the in-progress movie, may also help another children discover that consolation too. “Twenty-five years later, to nonetheless be writing is superb to me. I am unable to even consider that is my job. I really feel so fortunate. And I am so grateful to the readers,” she says.
“Typically I’ve to pinch myself. It is nearly like being a princess. It is truly higher, as a result of as we all know from the story, being a princess can have some actually huge bummers about it, however thus far, being author has been actually nice.”
The Princess Diaries: The Graphic Novel by Meg Cabot, illustrated by Bethany Crandall, will hit cabinets on April 7, 2026 and is out there for preorder now, wherever books are bought.
