The Devil Wears Prada is nothing short of a phenomenal movie that influenced fashion, culture, communication and iconic dialogues that are remembered even today. Nearly two decades after The Devil Wears Prada was released, its second part has been a long time coming. The Miranda Priestly’s are ready, the Andrea’s are already working and the Emily’s are prepping for the next fashion trend.
The world’s most intimidating and fashionable editor is back again – with a sequel that will follow the most iconic fashion movie ever made. And honestly, the timing makes so much sense too.
The fashion industry has changed tremendously since 2006 – to the point where each year involves a new fashionable trend we see all the influencers and celebrities follow.
- The print magazines are now struggling
- The influencers dominate most trends, if not start them
- The luxury branding has gone digital
- Fashion itself has become so much faster, bolder, louder and also AI driven.
So for Miranda Priestly to come back to the modern screens and deal with such changes is nothing short of a movie that will surely keep us on our toes. While wearing the right footwear, of course.
Why did the first film become so iconic?
The Devil Wears Prada was released in 2006 and was initially marketed as a “fashion comedy” – but in a few weeks it became so much more than just that. On the surface, you would think that this movie spoke about the glamor of fashion and the privileges people in this industry get. But once you look closer and deeper, you would see that this movie explored ambition, identity, power and burnout while choosing between your dream vs getting burnt out. That is why the film is so relevant even today because people are struggling with all these even today.
The first movie followed this ambitious, unfashionable and “i-could-care-less” writer called Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) and followed her journey as she unexpectedly landed a job at Runway magazine – a global fashion iconic magazine led by Miranda Priestly (Merryl Streep). From an introverted and underconfident girl, Andrea learns who she is, what her ambitions are and what lengths she is willing to go to just for some materialistic gain.
Also – the Miranda Priestly effect:
A huge reason for the film to be so iconic was Merryl Streep’s performance and people linking it to being Anna Wintour’s (Vogue’s long time editor-in-chief) biography instead. She was not just written off as a cartoon villain who the hero/heroine defeats. She was actually brilliant – the best, really. She was emotionally distant, yes, but she was also ruthless, demanded the very best from her employees, sweet to her children, detail oriented and extremely involved in her company which is why people respected her more than they feared her.
And so, Miranda Priestly quickly became the world’s most loved and iconic boss characters. Her lines such as “That’s all” are still read in her tone and her voice even today.
Why did the fans want a Devil Wears Prada sequel for so long?
The original film had made such a huge impact on people from all over the world, especially because of its realistic and surprisingly mature ending. Andy walks away from Runway, even after Miranda Priestly tells her – “Oh don’t be ridiculous Andrea, everyone wants this.” But, maybe not our Andy.
Over time though, both Merryl Streep and Anne Hathaway decided and showed interest in a sequel of the movie being made. The industry itself had evolved enough for them to get a good story out of.
The Devil Wears Prada 2: What We Know So Far
The Devil Wears Prada 2 release date is set for May 1, 2026 officially. The sequel also reunited a lot of the original and important cast members and creative team.
Just like the director, David Frankel and the Writer, Aline Brosh McKenna are the ones that originally directed and wrote the first part as well. The original’s sharp wit and tone will be continued in the second as well.
What do we know about the cast members?
The sequel will bring back most of the original cast members – something that the audience is very excited to see!
- Merryl Streep is back as Miranda Priestly
- Anne Hathaway is back as Andrea “Andy” Sachs
- Emily Blunt is back as Emily Charlton
- Stanley Tucci is back as Nigel
What is even more exciting – there are certain new additions to the family such as:
- Kenneth Branagh
- Lucy Liu
- Justin Theroux
- Simone Ashley
What is the Devil Wears Prada sequel all about?
The sequel is reportedly supposed to be about the collapse of traditional fashion and the decline of print magazines while they are replaced by the digital era. The runway magazine is struggling because of the fact that print media has lost its audience and relevance. Social media creators dominate influence now and luxury branding has also become digital.
Yes, Miranda Priestly is still as powerful and relevant as before.
But, does she continue being untouchable?
The major twist here is that Emily who used to be Miranda’s first assistant is now a major executive who is connected to luxury advertising money that Runway desperately needs.
All the while Andy returns to fashion after being away for years.
The dynamic that has been created now is fun and exciting and asks this one question – can you truly and fully leave ambition in one field, behind? Or does it eventually pull you back into it?
Miranda Priestly now lives in a world where an influencer sitting in some random part of the USA can determine the next fashion trend – which for her, is nothing short of a horror. Brands care about algorithms, attention spans are shorter than ever, and trends are no longer made on The Runway.
Can the Devil Wears Prada sequel match the original?
The sequel should ideally avoid being overly nostalgic or overly critical of the current world. But early reactions suggest that it does successfully modernise the story and still preserves the wit, the sharpness and the tension of the original plot just the same.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 release date is set for May 1st and people are sat for it. The original film captured the culture of fashion magazines and the sequel will explore what will happen once that empire falls down.
