Gird your loins! Two decades after the first film emerged as the rare chick flick with cross-gender appeal, the entire gang comes back together again for The Devil Wears Prada 2. This immaculately conceived sequel doesn’t just replay the hits or rehash the first movie; instead, the sharp script from Aline Brush McKenna finds a timely way to comment on the sad state of modern journalism. The narrative organically threads its characters together through the fast-moving world of Runway. All four leads have their time to shine, but it’s Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep that steal the show. How can Miranda Priestly exist in a time when celebrities are constantly being cancelled by the masses? The answer is indeed a little surprising, making this a rare mainstream sequel that boldly colors outside the lines. Fashionable and heartwarming comfort food, The Devil Wears Prada 2 proves that bold storytelling truly never goes out of style.
For the uninitiated, we last left Andy Sachs (Hathaway) as she fled her job at Runway just in the aftermath of finally winning approval from editor-in-chief fashion tyrant Miranda Priestly (Streep). Despite appearing to be an awful boss, Miranda actually gave a glowing recommendation for Andy as she interviewed for a job at The New York Mirror. All these years later, Andy is now an acclaimed journalist; Miranda still lords over Runway, with her right hand man and fashion expert Nigel (Stanley Tucci) by her side; and Miranda’s other former assistant, Emily (Emily Blunt), now works at Dior as senior executive. After being unceremoniously fired over text, Andy gets roped back into the world of Runway, hired by the CEO himself as the new features editor. What could possibly go wrong?
In a rather hilarious turn of events, Miranda does not appear to remember either of her “Emily” assistants, and she’s none too thrilled that Andy has been hired and put in place without Miranda’s approval. The dynamic shifts between the two in a major way. Andy may not be an equal to Miranda, but she now has an assistant (Helen J. Shen) of her own. Miranda remains just as snippy as ever, if a bit more self aware of her bluntness. Miranda’s new assistant (Simone Ashley) keeps her in check for the most part, leading to a variety of hilarious board meetings where Miranda quite literally gets told to dial it back. What Andy offers is a chance at viral success, a formula that can put Runway back on the map in a world where print media has gone the way of the dinosaur.
Gone is the love triangle, instead opting to focus Andy’s fresh career opportunity. There’s just a dash of romance for all central three women, but still tragically none for Nigel. When is he getting a man? Give the people what they want! Miranda’s new beau comes in the form of Kenneth Branagh, whilst Andy catches eyes for a flirty British building developer (Patrick Brammall). Emily, meanwhile, has a high profile celebrity boyfriend that’s quite loaded. There are a couple fun characters this time around—Lucy Liu plays the elusive Sasha, and Justin Theroux her Ozempified ex; Andy’s close friend Lily (Tracie Thoms) returns, while thankfully Andy’s ex, Nate, is nowhere to be seen nor heard. Still, the main event is the quartet at the center of the action.
A natural evolution of her occasionally heinous Miranda, Meryl Streep has returned to her Oscar nominated character with a refined sense of her place in the world. Does this version of Miranda truly exist without Runway as her backbone? Is there still a place for fashion and standards in a world being consumed by AI and cost-cutting measures? Many concepts here are surprisingly relevant. As a journalism graduate, many themes jumped out at me, funneled directly through the hard exterior of Miranda. Even more than the first film, we dive further into Miranda’s psyche. She’s not this hollow villain, though it may have been easier to paint her that way. Miranda is filled with nuances and a unique perspective, and Streep delivers another excellent turn as one of her most iconic characters of all time.
Andy has undergone a natural evolution, with far more confidence and a sense of self. She was just discovering who she really was in the first movie, by the end realizing that she actually did not want to become Miranda. In The Devil Wears Prada 2, Andy has a renewed trajectory, a clear perspective about journalistic integrity and fighting to keep it alive that fuels her. She helps her struggling writer friends, even contemplates writing a book about Miranda, but gone is the selfish streak that painted some of Andy’s choices in the first movie. Hathaway brings a natural charisma to the role, just as present in 2026 as she was in 2006.
Nigel still gives unwarranted tips, provides expensive clothes to Andy, and playfully nudges her in the right direction. He remains by Miranda’s side entirely. Their relationship has more heart than expected, as he still lives in her shadow rather than blossoming into what he could potentially become. Emily’s history with Miranda is just as juicy, a woman who had previously devoted her entire life to Runway magazine. Blunt is used sparingly compared to the other cast members, but her role ends up being a pretty vital one narratively speaking. Andy’s interactions with Emily explore a positive female relationship rather than dwelling in the negative space of so many other chick flicks.
Ultimately, The Devil Wears Prada 2 works so well thanks to the strength of its ensemble. They completely sell the material, and there are even a few cameo surprises along the way. Rather than living in the shadow of a much superior film, this instead evolves into the rare sequel with a distinct identity of its own. It probably would have been less challenging to simply repeat what came before, but we’ve already seen that movie. Dozens of times. Maybe a few decades away made the heart grow fonder for picking back up again in the same world that director David Frankel brought to life. Maybe this does well enough to warrant a third go-round, nicely establishing a new status quo that would be delightful continue. Whatever the case, fabulous outfits and sassy dialogue brought out the Devil Wears Prada to a new generation. That’s all.
Walk the runway with The Devil Wears Prada 2, now modeling in theaters everywhere.
