Just when you think two Vanessa Hudgens aren’t enough, The Princess Switch: Switched Again gives us three!
In the sequel of The Princess Switch, we find Duchess Margaret unexpectedly inheriting the throne to Montenaro and hits a rough patch with boyfriend Kevin. It is then up to Stacy who is now a Princess of Belgravia to have them get back together. But wait, Margaret’s party girl cousin, a third look-alike comes into the picture and has a scheme to steal the throne.
Watch the trailer:
At a virtual roundtable interview, we had the chance to talk to Vanessa Hudgens who plays three characters in the film. She shares how it was playing three characters, a third The Princess Switch movie, and more. Read the full interview below:
The whole movie looked like it was so much fun to shoot. Other than reuniting with the cast, what did you enjoy most about it?
Vanessa Hudgens: Like you accidentally said, reuniting with family, and that’s what it really felt like. In the first film, we were in Romania and stayed in the same hotel. We were in a little town and there was one restaurant that we could go to and we would all be together all the time. So being in a new place, being Edinburgh, Scotland which is such an incredible place, it just felt like a big reunion and playtime for all of us. I love this crew and cast so any excuse that we have to all be together is one that I always look forward to which we get to do again with the next Princess Switch.
How crazy was it playing three characters in the movie?
Vanessa Hudgens: Just about as crazy as you would think. I’m always down for a challenge so I was like, let’s do this and see what happens. It was a lot of fun though because I really got to be hands-on with the new character Fiona and just develop her from the ground up.
They gave me complete freedom to give her whatever accent I wanted and really help build how she looks. And she’s just very over the top and extremely dramatic, and that is a bit of me as well. So it was really nice to be able to bring that into the picture but after a 13 hour day of being on set and doing switches and acting with different versions of myself, my brain was just very frazzled.
How was the experience to also be a producer in this film?
Vanessa Hudgens: It was really great. I think as an actor on a project, you always have a point of view and suggestions for the project but you don’t want to overstep any boundaries. And actually being a producer meant that I wasn’t overstepping any boundaries and I got to be really involved with the script and with the development of all the characters and have a say in wardrobe, the hair, and makeup, and just make sure that this is the best that it could be to bring you guys.
What can you tell us about the next Princess Switch? Is there gonna be four of you in that one?
Vanessa Hudgens: Definitely not four. I’m shutting that rumor down really quickly because then I would really lose my mind. But it’s going to be another fun ride and I really loved playing Fiona so we’ll have quite a bit more of her for the next one. And that’s all I’m gonna say!
What personalities of Margaret, Stacy and Fiona would you say are similar to yours?
Vanessa Hudgens: I think Stacy is your girl next door and that’s really how I think of myself. Like, yeah, my schedule is a bit hectic at times, and people may recognize me but I’m really just a normal girl and I get to do what I love. And she’s really grounded and I work really hard at keeping myself grounded. Margaret has been in the spotlight and she’s taking on the crown and I relate to being in the spotlight myself since I’ve been in it for quite a while now. And Fiona is very over the top and an absolute drama queen and I am a bit dramatic myself, so there’s definitely pieces of all of them that I’ve just loved and totally relate to.
Fiona being the newest character in this film, what advice would you have given her?
Vanessa Hudgens: Girl, calm down.*laughs* The thing that’s really special about Christmas movies, especially Princess Switch, you suspend belief. There’s no way two girls would just happen to look like each other and not be twins when they have the same face. But Fiona is just doing the most and she’s so caught up in materialism and her appearances. While those things are fun, that’s not what life is about. I would tell her to slow her roll and be grateful for the family that she does have.
What makes a good Christmas movie, and what are some of your favorites?
Vanessa Hudgens: To me, what makes a good Christmas movie is lots of decorations. You need all the Christmas decorations you can find, and you need it to be very over the top. I think you need romance — someone needs to fall in love. You need some sort of Christmas scenario like decorating a tree or baking cookies or just like quality time around the holidays. My favorites are The Nightmare Before Christmas because it blends Halloween and Christmas together, and Halloween is my favorite. And also, Elf. I think that Christmas time in New York City is such a magical place and the movie captured that. As well as the fact that it’s just hilarious.
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The Princess Switch: Switched Again premieres on Netflix on November 19, 4pm. Stream it here.
