The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026 | USA | 119 minutes | David Frankel)
Twenty years after Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) accepted the job “a million girls would kill for” as Miranda Priestly’s (Meryl Streep) assistant, she finds herself unexpectedly back at Runway magazine working under Priestly once more. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is primarily a nostalgic homage to the drama of everyone’s favorite not-so-fictitious fashion magazine. It doesn’t provide anything particularly innovative, but it’s still an enjoyable return to the world of the original film. With the same cast, writers (Lauren Weisberger and Aline Brosh McKenna), and director David Frankel, it’s clear we’re getting a near-replica of the original.
While walking the (cerulean) blue carpet at Runway’s pseudo-Met Gala (the theme of which, fittingly, is “Spring Florals”), Miranda hears the news that Runway is involved in a scandal. The same night, Andy, now working as a successful reporter, a job that takes her all around the world, is publicly fired as her magazine downsizes. Luckily, both Andy and Miranda have ways of helping each other, and so begins the first of many unlikely partnerships.
Still Miranda’s right-hand man at Runway is Nigel (Stanley Tucci), nearly ecstatic to be working with Andy once again. Miranda also has a new duo of assistants: her first assistant, Amari (Simone Ashley), and her second assistant, Charlie (Caleb Hearon), whom Andy takes an immediate liking to. And returning as Emily is Emily Blunt, now working at Dior, Runway’s biggest sponsor.
Just as the original film leans heavily on Vogue’s real-life influences, the sequel is not immune to the blatantly obvious connection to the real-world version of Runway. We are introduced to new characters, including a tech billionaire interested in AI and space travel (Justin Theroux as Benji), looking to buy the magazine for his new girlfriend, and his elusive ex-wife, Sasha (Lucy Liu). While it’s hard to miss the obvious inspiration the writers drew from current events, the storyline works well and fits seamlessly into the world of Runway.
The best part of the film is that Miranda is just as much the main character as Andy is. The film digs deeper into who Miranda is and the sacrifices she’s made for her career. While the original film touched on Miranda’s humanity as Andy learned of her divorce, much of this humanity was still tainted by the “devil” persona the film attributes to her. In The Devil Wears Prada 2, the human side of Miranda is far more relatable as we see her navigate career stress, friendships, and motherhood.
If the film has a message, it’s perhaps one of feminism, that Andy, Miranda, and Emily don’t need to rely on successful men to achieve their dreams; they have the skills to achieve them on their own. But the filmmakers don’t lean into that messaging enough, leaving it feeling half-baked and forced rather than expertly conveyed. For a film centering on three high-ranking women in the world of fashion, it’s difficult to see how this messaging was fumbled. But unfortunately, we’re given on-the-nose lines about the power of women rather than shown the ways they are able to fend for themselves.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is clearly catering to fans of the original, never trying too hard to be a modern film, instead masquerading as an early 2000s rom-com with slightly higher production value. While being just about as groundbreaking as florals for spring, the film still accomplishes what it set out to do: bring new and old fans alike back into the world of Runway for a nostalgic, enjoyable two hours.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 arrives in theaters on May 1st
Image by by Macall Polay courtesy of 20th Century Studios