The question of a “The Devil Wears Prada” sequel had been raised for many years. There were talks of development way back in 2013, but the ball did not truly start rolling until 2024. As a huge fan of the original film, I was very excited when I saw that a sequel was being made and that much of the main cast would be returning and reprising their roles, including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt. The original film is based on a memoir written by a former assistant to Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour. For the purposes of the film, a character was created and based on Wintour. This character, who is also the individual the title references, is the iconic Miranda Priestly.
The original film follows young journalist, Andrea “Andy” Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, as she tries to break into the New York journalism scene and is forced to take a job as an assistant at the fashion magazine, Runway (a fictional version of Vogue). At the beginning of the film, Andy does not fit in with the rest of her coworkers as she has very little knowledge of or interest in fashion. It does not help that she is often antagonized by her superior, the first assistant, Emily Charleton, played by Emily Blunt. Additionally, she struggles to acclimatize to her job and the outrageous demands of her boss, the cruel and effective editor-in-chief of Runway, Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep. Through her own determination and some career and fashion help from coworker Nigel (played by Stanley Tucci), Andy is able to gain Miranda’s favor and succeed at Runway, eventually being part of the staff at Paris Fashion Week. In the final minutes of the first film, Andy decides that she does not have the ability to be as cruel as Miranda wants her to be and so she makes the decision to leave Runway and write for a different publication.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” begins with a newly fired Andy Sachs as she takes a job as the features editor of Runway. She butts heads with a now less powerful Miranda, trying to navigate a now digital media world. Additionally, she retains her frenemy-ship with Emily Charleton, now an executive at Dior after leaving Runway for unclear reasons.
Overall, I enjoyed this film. Expectations were very high given that the original is one of my favorite movies of all time, but I am happy to say that while I did not like it as much as the first, it was a suitable sequel. I liked how the actors reprising their roles showed characters who were more mature, yet still retained many of the flaws and quirks of their original characters. The important aspects of all of the characters were retained, including Andy’s naive yet inspiring hope, Emily’s quippy one-liners and Miranda’s aura of intensity.
One of the best parts about the original film for me was the costuming. The costuming is used to show each character’s relationship to the fashion world, with powerful figures at Runway dressed in designer, trendy clothes, while those unconnected to the fashion world are shown in more drab outfits. A similar distinction is used in the second film to separate those with influence from those who lack it.
The concept of combating the changing media landscape was a very interesting plot choice because it connects so deeply with real life. Media and fashion are no longer consumed in the same way it was 20 years ago, so I am glad the writers chose to make this a central part of the plot. This plot also allows us to see characters such as Miranda and Nigel in a new light as their power struggle now goes beyond simply within the company, but also with technology and changing demographics. Admittedly, I had doubts about the concept and writing at the beginning of the film, but by the end, I had changed my mind. The power struggles tie the first movie’s plot in nicely with the new film and create a duo of movies that, while different, tell the same overarching story.
In conclusion, “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” while not surpassing my expectations, was a very enjoyable film. The movie tells an important story through characters that are already very familiar to the general public. The charm and nostalgia of the first movie carries over well into the second, and even though I doubt I will watch it again, it did give the characters a nice ending.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2:” ★★★★☆
