“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is a legacy sequel released on Friday, May 1, 20 years after the iconic “The Devil Wears Prada.” Reprising their roles, the star-studded cast is made up of Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci.
Although this sequel was not necessary, as the story was concluded in the first movie, it takes a relevant route as we find Andy (Hathaway) and Miranda (Streep) navigating the challenging new world of journalism in an increasingly digital world.
We first see Andy getting fired from her job as an investigative reporter; her paper laid everyone off amidst the changing industry. Andy reunites with Miranda after getting an offer to become Runway Magazine’s features editor.
Miranda is the same icy editor-in-chief of Runway that she was in the first movie, with new assistants in a “woke” environment. She’s forced to hang her own coat as she’s not allowed to throw it over her assistants’ desks anymore and she must keep rude comments to a minimum during staff meetings.
Like the first film, this one showcased stunning fashion and snappy one-liners from Miranda and Andy running around trying to produce a hot story. Although Andy has already made it in the journalism industry and doesn’t have anything to prove, like she did 20 years earlier, she hasn’t lost the spark behind her work. She still takes all the challenges thrown at her and turns them around.
We find Emily (Blunt) working for Dior as a major advertising client for Runway. She is still not the easiest person to please, but she softens up to Andy at the end. She reveals that after Andy left Runway years ago, Emily called her because she thinks they could have been friends.
A side plot in the movie has Andy finding a man she can settle down with. It’s said earlier in the movie that she just never found the right one. It was very easy to make this the entire plot of the movie and get lost in Andy trying to find a partner, but it was kept a small plotline to not overshadow her classic problems while working for Miranda.
There were a handful of cameos from iconic figures and influencers in pop culture throughout the film, such as Donatella Versace, Heidi Klum, Law Roach and Amelia Dimoldenberg.
“Bridgerton” actress Simone Ashley plays Miranda’s newest first assistant, taking over Blunt’s role from the first film. Miranda’s second assistant is played by comedian and TikTok star, Caleb Hearon.
Lady Gaga and Lucy Liu also have small roles in the film. The soundtrack features three Lady Gaga songs, one of which she performs as herself in the movie. The soundtrack is made up of 100% female artists, including Dua Lipa and RAYE.
Streep has famously stayed away from sequels over the course of her career, “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” and, of course, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” being the exceptions. Talks for a “The Devil Wears Prada” sequel began as early as 2009 but, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Streep said, “We all waited until we had that good idea.”
Revisiting a classic story with a modern lens shows how everything and nothing can change at the same time. Miranda and Andy are still the same journalists fighting for groundbreaking stories in a time when people scroll past them while using the bathroom.
