The Princess Switch 2 introduces the Netflix Holiday Movie Universe and it's your next big obsession
The most ambitious cinematic crossover event in history?
Everything is connected, including the NHMU – that’s the Netflix Holiday Movie Universe, for the uninitiated. As well as bringing us Vanessa Hudgens³, The Princess Switch: Switched Again also features one of the most ambitious cinematic crossover events in history, as pointed out by a keen pair of eyes over at Gizmodo.
But first, some context: a sequel to Netflix's 2018 hit The Princess Switch, Switched Again sees lookalikes Duchess Margaret and Stacy (both played once again by Hudgens) swap places in an attempt to fix their respective life problems – Margaret’s coronation is approaching and both her and Stacy are having relationship issues. However, they’re unknowingly under threat from a third lookalike, Margaret’s evil cousin Lady Fiona (also played by – you guessed it – Hudgens) who wants to steal the throne.
It’s Margaret’s coronation that we’re interested in, though – and more specifically, the guests who are in attendance (and the question of how a duchess can be the heir to the throne...). We’ve seen two of them before, in another festive Netflix offering: Queen Amber and King Richard from A Christmas Prince (with their Royal Baby in tow).
Why is this significant? Well, in the first Princess Switch movie, we see Margaret watching none other than A Christmas Prince on TV. Now that we know the characters exist in the same universe, can we assume that the version watched by Margaret is a documentary? Or maybe a fictionalised prestige television event akin to The Crown?
Another twist to the tale: Kat Graham’s character in Netflix’s The Holiday Calendar also watches A Christmas Prince, which seemingly places it within the same cinematic universe. Are we to assume these worlds are connected, too? These are questions we need answers to, but luckily Netflix has already greenlit a Princess Switch 3. Phew.
If you’ve already exhausted the NHMU and you’re on the lookout for some more festive fun, we’ve compiled a list of the best Christmas movies of all time.
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I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.