The Princess Diaries is a 2001 American coming-of-age comedy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Garry Marshall, and written by Gina Wendkos. Based on Meg Cabot's 2000 young adult novel, it stars Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, with a supporting cast consisting of Héctor Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, and Robert Schwartzman. The plot follows Mia Thermopolis (Hathaway), a shy American teenager who learns she is heir to the throne of a European kingdom. Under the tutelage of her estranged grandmother (Andrews), the kingdom's reigning queen, Mia must choose whether to claim or renounce her title.