Two decades after The Devil Wears Prada captivated audiences with the immaculately stylish, fast-paced world of Runway Magazine and Andy Sachs’ journey navigating it, we get to see where the iconic characters have landed in The Devil Wears Prada 2.
If you’re a fan of the first film, you’re expecting biting humor, fun cameos, and gorgeous outfits – and they deliver. But what’s most refreshing is that it is a very different story, one that reflects on our current times. This environment is not the same as it was when we left in 2006, because the industry has evolved drastically.
Andy (Anne Hathaway) is a successful and celebrated journalist, but due to the state of the industry, she finds herself looking for a new role. This lands her right back in the manicured grasp of Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), who’s facing a few crises of her own. Right off the bat, it’s a grim look at the state of the industry. Andy is laid off, the ones that got their hands dirty in the day-to-day work, taking the fall as she tells her friends about the CEO taking home an $11-million payout. It’s ironic: the company producing this film, 20th Century Studios, owned by Disney, just laid off about 1,000 brilliant contributors from its workforce under a new CEO…but alas! Andy’s work lived up to the standards that the ambitious younger version of herself dreamt of. She did everything right as a “serious” journalist, but she’s positive about her new role as Features Editor at Runway, although she sees it as more of a stepping stone to the next chapter.
Returning to the office, the loss of the fashion magazine seeps in. The team is fighting to keep Runway alive as it navigates the age of digital and social. “Readers” have become “consumers”, scrolling mindlessly rather than flipping through the tangible pages. Getting a new issue was a moment; now it’s just a blip on our feeds. The work Andy is putting in is quality; it’s not cheap clickbait to capitalize on short attention spans, but the numbers aren’t hitting. Finally, she lands a big story with Sasha Barnes (Lucy Liu), and the future feels like it’s beginning to look up as Runway hits its highest engagement in almost a decade. Unfortunately, more problems need to be dealt with before the crew is in the clear.
This film is very different from the first in many ways, and that’s a good thing. They capture the spirit of the original; it feels familiar. There are the same characters we love, callbacks fans will notice, but the changes keep it from feeling like the standard long-awaited sequel. The original was far more straightforward, taking an almost coming-of-age narrative structure as Andy lands her first big job out of college and balances that toxic work environment with unsupportive friends and the most annoying boyfriend in all of cinema. This film holds much more weight to the conflicts; there’s more to lose as each problem arises.
As a shock to no one, Meryl Streep stepped back into Miranda’s heels with poise, her scathing intensity, and a softness in her vulnerability. Streep has historically avoided sequels, but the film simply could not be made without her presence. Miranda Priestly is one of the most iconic characters from the 2000s! Anne Hathaway is endlessly charming as the grown-up version of Andy, beaming with confidence and a drive to do the right thing. Her heart is on her sleeve, and that’s exactly why she wasn’t cut out for the industry when she was younger, but that trait makes all the difference now. She may stumble, but she will always choose the right thing. Hathaway has a really interesting upcoming run in 2026, with multiple films spanning all different genres – between this film, Mother Mary, and The Odyssey, I’m delighted that we’re seeing so many versions of her craft on the screen this year.
It’s such a treat to spend more time with Nigel (Stanley Tucci) and Emily (Emily Blunt). Tucci and Blunt didn’t miss a beat; they captured the same energy we fell in love with. What I appreciate most about these two characters is their dynamic with Andy; this film has more heartwarming moments that showcase their relationships. In a hectic industry where you’re always on guard, they can just let their facades down around her and allow themselves to just be. There’s a new charming love interest, Peter (Patrick Brammall), who doesn’t do too much, but plays a role in rounding out Andy’s character development without taking away from the central story. BJ Novak is Jay Ravitz, a nepo-dweeb millennial type bro. To me, he’s kind of a villain, but more so because he’s someone with seemingly unlimited finances who doesn’t have the care to properly nurture the projects he’s inheriting. Novak didn’t stand out as much as the rest of the cast, but it could just be the athleisure, frat-boy CEO vibes sending a chill down my spine.
Speaking of athleisure, costume designer Molly Rogers, a longtime collaborator of the first film’s costume designer Patricia Field, utilized modern fashion elements to show us exactly who these characters became. Rogers worked with Field on Sex And The City, so she knows all about telling a story in the details. Although Andy gave away her Chanel and doesn’t fiercely focus on fashion, she clearly learned a lot from her previous tenure at Runway. She gets a compliment from Nigel on her coat – a Margiela blazer she thrifted in Provo for 11 dollars.
Meanwhile, every time we see Emily, we don’t know what to expect. She is slathered in Dior logos, donning a Galliano newspaper print on the Italian waterfront, or wearing a huge Tiffany & Co. necklace just to lie in her hotel room. Her luxury isn’t quiet; it’s screaming in your face. Their personalities shine through the clothing. From the office to Milan, there are endless pieces for fashion enthusiasts to gush over. It’s beautiful work from Rogers!
Although the themes are poignant and there’s so much conflict, the witty dialogue and fun performances add so much-needed levity. It delivers on the glitz and glamour that we expect from a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, with flashy cameos (one made me gasp) and gorgeous costuming. The Devil Wears Prada 2 thoughtfully reflects on the modern state of the journalism industry and the shift from the 2000s peak of print media to the evolving digital age, showing why this was the right moment to revisit these characters and experience the next edition of Runway Magazine.
Rating: 7/10