THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2

The Devil Wears Prada 2 seamlessly blends nostalgia and timely commentary to create the rare sequel that justifies its existence, that when once again elevated by the magnificent performances of and onscreen chemistry between Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, makes for a glamourous legacy sequel that never fails to entertain.

In a summer full of blockbusters like The Da Vinci Code, Superman Returns and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, one film back in 2006 defied the odds and became a sensation both at the box office and in popular culture. With its insanely quotable script, unforgettable characters and dazzling fashion, The Devil Wears Prada made its mark on popular culture with its scathing commentary of Vogue’s editor in chief Anna Wintour with a legendary performance from Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, its now legendary cerulean blue sweater speech, while delivering breakout roles for both Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt.. Even twenty years later, it is a beloved film amongst movie fans that has aged like a fine wine, even if Miranda’s actions in the film have not, but the world was both shocked and excited when a sequel was announced in 2024 that had Streep, Hathaway, Blunt and Stanley Tucci all returning to their iconic roles. Just in time to celebrate the original film’s twentieth anniversary, The Devil Wears Prada 2 arrives with another fashion driven story, this time trading in the workplace dramedy for an exploration of print journalism, corporate oversight and art that makes for one of the most timely films in today’s world as artificial intelligence and financial considerations threaten artistic integrity, but never for a second loses its charm or heart that made audiences fall in love with the original film.

The reason that studios like making legacy sequels is that there is a nostalgia to tap into that fans of the original film have a desire for, and there is no shortage of nostalgia in The Devil Wears Prada 2. From small clothing references such as the two blue belts and the return of the iconic cerulean blue sweater, the fashion montage sequence set to Madonna’s “Vogue,” or the return of the ice cold brutality of Miranda Priestly, director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna (both returning from the first film) understand what audiences want from this film. McKenna has fun with the references, calling back to some of the first film’s most iconic moments and showing their reaction to them in today’s society, such as Miranda no longer being able to throw her coats at her assistants as she enters the office each morning due to complaints to human resources, while moving the characters into a new world and the challenges this faces, largely with Miranda being told what she can and cannot say anymore by her new assistant Amari.

With these moments throughout the film that callback to the humour of the first film, the sequel creates a worthy continuation of the fun nature of the first film that has the requisite laughs, but at the same time the new dynamic amongst the characters allows for an intriguing new chapter to unfold at Runway. When we meet Miranda, Andy, Emily and Nigel again, it feels like no time has passed since we last saw them on the big screen as their personalities have not changed in the slightest, but they have all grown as characters and are all in a different place in their careers. Andy and Emily have both progressed in their careers and are no longer the lowly assistants that Miranda can easily terrorize, despite her still doing so in her own glorious way, Nigel’s dedication to Runway and Miranda has made him even wiser, and Miranda continues to climb to the top of the game while reflecting on the legacy she has created and what that has meant for her personal life. While McKenna still crafts her story for this sequel following the narrative structure of the first film, once again featuring Andy’s impossible task, a foreign fashion show and moments of vulnerability from Miranda in the film's third act, the new power position amongst the characters only enhances the experience. It is in these more nuanced and honest scenes between the characters that shows the growth in each of them where McKenna finds the most beautiful moments in each of their arcs, making the return to these characters beyond satisfying and most importantly rewarding for viewers.

Like so many sequels, there is no need to revisit its characters and extend the story, as it is incredibly difficult to recapture the magic that made the original film a success in the first place, but the message at the heart of The Devil Wears Prada 2 not only justifies the film’s existence, it demands it. In a society dominated by social media personalities and dwindling public attention span, print journalism is under attack, and that is the hook that draws Andy back to Runway. The importance of the written word with an honest point of view is championed in McKenna’s screenplay, calling out the decline in print journalism by larger corporate conglomerates to save the bottom line and lack of flow of information to the public journalism provides, rather than the shallow information that we want to know that social media provides to society.

At the same time, the critical commentary of capitalistic devaluing of art and beauty is never softened, instead taking full aim at tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, buying up corporations for their own personal whims rather than the betterment of humanity, through Justin Theroux’s character and the threat these corporate giants face to the arts and free expression. It’s a bold narrative stance for a studio film, nonetheless a film being released by Disney who is exploring the use of artificial intelligence in their storytelling and has all but stopped releasing original live action films under the Walt Disney Studios banner instead solely releasing remakes of their animated catalogue. But, the timeliness and pressing nature of the ideas at the heart of The Devil Wears Prada 2 makes it more than just an entertaining summer blockbuster: it becomes a poignant and relevant reminder of the loss of artistic expression and journalistic integrity that we face to lose if we continue down the path we are on as a society.

While the central themes of the film justify this sequel’s existence, it is nothing without the return of Streep, Hathaway, Blunt and Tucci. Streep once again delivers a tour de force performance as Miranda, creating that terrifying boss that audiences love to hate with some great comedic moments as she reacts to the changing world she finds herself in, cutting honesty as she puts Andy and Emily in their place, as well as painful soul-searching as she explores Miranda at this late stage in life and what all these years of being at the top of the fashion industry has cost her personally. It’s nothing short of the magnificent work audiences have come to expect from Streep, and the only question is will she nab a second Academy Award nomination for playing Miranda… as it has been eight years since she has been nominated so she is overdue for another nomination. Hathaway once again lights up the screen with her bubbly personality as Andy, recapturing Andy’s strong beliefs and caring nature from the first film as she navigates her complicated past with Miranda while trying to restore trust in Runway’s editorial perspective. Her scenes opposite Streep are fantastic, delivering some of the film’s most memorable moments as they explore the intricate relationship between their characters with an intensity and compassion that builds the heart of the film, but most importantly it’s just wonderful to see Hathaway back on the big screen having fun again as she hasn’t done that once this decade.

Even with the least amount of screentime of the quartet, Blunt is deliciously devilish as Emily, becoming a force to reckon every second with her scalding delivery of her one liners as she spoofs the wives of billionaires pretending they are capable of being titans of industries. Though, as with the first film, it is Tucci’s warmth and dry comedic timing as Nigel that is the film’s secret weapon and the glue that holds this quartet of actors together. While a third film is not necessary, I would not pass at the chance of seeing Streep, Hathaway, Blunt and Tucci return to these roles and light up the screen once again as it is magical to watch them act together.

Being set in the world of fashion, it comes as no surprise that the costume design is fabulous throughout. Featuring clothing from the world’s most notable designers, there is not a costume choice that fails to deliver the glitz and glamour audiences expect of Runway. While it may not feel couture, there is no denying that Miranda’s tassel jacket is one of the most iconic costumes of the film alongside the subtle cameo return of Andy’s cerulean blue sweater. Matching the brand power of the clothing line up of the film is the lineup of artists featured on the soundtrack, with songs from Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Raye and many more. Lady Gaga pens three original songs for the film, in addition to also appearing as herself to perform one of them in the film. Though the marketing has been pushing her song “RUNWAY” with Doechili, it is actually “Shape of a Woman” that she performs at the fashion show in the film that is the best of the three original songs of the film, as it is the song that truly allows her to showcase her talents as an artist.

It may not be as groundbreaking as florals for spring, but summer movie season starts off with a strong walk down the runway with a legacy sequel that hits all the right marks. Miranda Priestly’s return to the big screen is nothing short of glamorous and riveting thanks to the excellent and timely story that gives the main cast their moment to shine, not only justifying this sequel’s existence, but making it one of the most films of the year with its messaging that audiences need to be reminded of. Led by the stunning performances of Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanely Tucci who not only deliver excellent individual performance but once again recapture their lightning in a bottle on screen chemistry, The Devil Wears Prada 2 delivers all the fashion, laughter and insightful heart that made the first film an iconic classic that when combined with insightful and important discussion of journalism, the arts and corporate control of both, results in one of the best legacy sequels to date… that’s all!