Film Review – The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

      The Devil Wears Prada 2, 2026.

      Directed by David Frankel.

      Starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Tracie Thoms, Tibor Feldman, B.J. Novak, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Rachel Bloom, Pauline Chalamet, Conrad Ricamora, Lady Gaga, Kennedy Walsh, Ciara, Marc Jacobs, Calum Harper, Ashley Graham.

      SYNOPSIS:

      As Miranda Priestly approaches retirement, she reconnects with Andy Sachs to confront her former assistant turned adversary: Emily Charlton. Regardless of any preconceived notions about The Devil Wears Prada 2, it deserves recognition for succeeding in an area where many legacy sequels falter: presenting a contemporary and engaging narrative that justifies revisiting these characters, handled with thoughtfulness. Set 20 years after the original film (also directed by David Frankel with returning screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, based on Lauren Weisberger's novel), former Runway Magazine writer Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is now a respected journalist. While accepting her latest award, she discovers that the magazine is being shut down, resulting in the layoff of her entire team. This unfortunate turn of events disrupts her life and pulls her back into the fashion world, where she takes on the role of Features Editor under the no-nonsense, commanding Miranda Priestly, who amusingly doesn’t even initially recall her.

      The challenge lies in the changed media landscape, with dwindling readership at the magazine; nobody at Runway knows what audiences want to read. The traditional informational landscape has been supplanted by fleeting trends (short TikTok videos, streaming obsessions, etc.), leading to the magazine's transformation into a digital subscription service. With an office full of new co-workers (Caleb Hearon shines in a small role as Miranda's new second assistant), it falls to Andy to balance writing content that is meaningful and personally fulfilling against what is fun to read and marketable. This balance comes after she resolves a PR blunder for Miranda, which is another reason she feels drawn back to the fashion scene while unemployed.

      Also featured is Miranda's long-time fashion director confidant, Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci), who remains in his role but desires a more significant position. Emily Blunt returns as Emily Charlton, Andy's past rival, who now holds an important role within the retail sector at Dior. Among the new characters, Kenneth Branagh plays Miranda’s new husband, while contractor Peter (Patrick Brammall) emerges as a potential romantic interest for Andy. Although the filmmakers seek to expand on Andy's life outside of work, this subplot unfortunately hinders the narrative (realistically, there's no reason for this film to exceed the length of its predecessor).

      After resolving the aforementioned PR crisis and steering the business back on course, Miranda becomes hopeful that she might be promoted to a global role by the company's CEO, Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman). This would entail a broader set of responsibilities that she actively desires, even expressing at one point how much she loves working—a line that may resonate sentimentally with Meryl Streep and her passion for acting. The worst-case scenario would be for the company to fall into the hands of Irv's fashion-illiterate son, Jay (B.J. Novak), who resorts to football metaphors and is clearly unfit for the position.

      As this situation looms, the film continues to delve into the troubling state of the media industry, where reputable outlets and journalists repeatedly fall prey to the incompetent, lacking respect and enthusiasm for what they acquire or inherit. Even the threats posed by AI are referenced (as someone who doesn’t understand fashion, I can assure you that’s a recipe for disastrous creations, unlike the stunning costume designs in this film). However, there’s a reluctance to fully explore the media industry's grim realities. Some punches are pulled, creating space for an overly optimistic conclusion that may leave some viewers a bit dissatisfied.

      It may be seen as a success that The Devil Wears Prada 2 acknowledges such stark truths, even if somewhat diluted. The remainder of the film presents what audiences are likely eager to see while being aware of the original's structure, without overindulging in fan service. What tempers some of this is the film's genuine investment in its characters and their development, showing surprising vulnerabilities. There’s a moment in the film where even Miranda lacks the energy to deliver a sharp retort to someone already beneath her. This isn’t to say there aren’t any witty remarks or sharp exchanges, but the filmmakers are bold enough to place their characters in new contexts and mindsets, reflecting the uncertain terrain of media and business.

      When fashion steps into the spotlight (accompanied by a plethora of industry cameos),