The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) 20th Century/Comedy-Drama RT: 119 minutes Rated PG-13 (strong language and some suggestive references) Director: David Frankel Screenplay: Aline Brosh McKenna Music: Theodore Shapiro Cinematography: Florian Ballhaus Release date: May 1, 2026 (US) Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Justin Theroux, Simone Ashley, Kenneth Branagh, Lucy Liu, Tracie Thoms, Caleb Hearon, B.J. Novak, Tibor Feldman, Patrick Brammall, Helen J. Shen, Larry Mitchell, Pauline Chalamet.
Rating: ***
And the summer movie race is off and running! First out of the gate is The Devil Wears Prada 2, the sequel to the 2006 comedy starring Meryl Streep (Death Becomes Her) as the boss from hell and Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries) as her awkward but plucky new second assistant. They’re both back along with Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place), Stanley Tucci (Julie & Julia), writer Aline Brosh McKenna (27 Dresses) and director David Frankel (Marley & Me). It’s a family reunion so to speak.
I know it’s trite to start off this way, but it’s the best way to put it. If you liked the first Devil, there’s no reason you won’t like The Devil Wears Prada 2. It’s a little different in that it doesn’t tell the story of a young, fresh-faced woman looking to become a legitimate journalist. Andy Sachs (Hathaway) already achieved her dream and more. She’s one of the most respected people in her profession. That doesn’t matter to the hot shots who just bought the publication where she’s been working for the past two decades. She and her staff are notified via text of their immediate terminations during a prestigious awards ceremony. It puts a real damper on the evening.
As luck would have it, Andi gets a new job almost immediately. It seems her old boss, Runaway editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly (Streep), is in a bit of hot water after failing to fully vet a puff piece about a brand that uses sweatshop labor. It causes quite the scandal. The owner of the magazine (Feldman) reaches out to Andi to return to where she started out, this time as the new features editor. Needless to say, Miranda isn’t happy to see her again. In fact, she barely even remembers her.
Andi’s main job is to fix the damage. She starts off by writing a mea culpa to the readers and follows it up with serious articles that nobody actually reads. This just aggravates Miranda more. It’s not all Andi though. She’s frustrated because she doesn’t get all this social media stuff. People aren’t buying hard copies anymore. They read it online. It’s less about journalism than content. Could it be that Miranda is becoming obsolete? Perish the thought.
Andi finally gets something right when she manages to secure a sit-down interview with Sasha Barnes (Liu, Kill Bill: Vol. 1), a wealthy divorcee looking to do something positive with her money after ending her marriage to douchey tech dude Benji Barnes (Theroux, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). The article is a hit and all is right with the world again, but only briefly. Tragedy strikes and Runaway falls into the hands of the owner’s disinterested son (Novak, Inglorious Basterds). He has plans for the magazine and they’re not good.
So what are the others up to these days? Miranda’s right-hand guy Nigel (Tucci) hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s still on hand to offer up fashion tips and snappy insults. Emily (Blunt), formerly first assistant to Miranda, now works for Dior. She says retail is a better fit for her. She clearly still holds a grudge against her old boss. New additions to TDWP family include Kenneth Branagh (Henry V) as Miranda’s new husband, Patrick Brammall (Colin from Accounts) as Andi’s new love interest, Simone Ashley (Bridgerton) as Miranda’s current first assistant and theater actress Helen J. Shen as Andi’s resourceful assistant. Unfortunately, they’re all thinly drawn. Frankel could have put them to better use had McKenna fleshed them out a bit more.
What surprises me the most about The Devil Wears Prada 2 is that it’s not as superficial as the world in which it’s set. It has something to say about the changing face of journalism in the social media age. Print is all but dead with most people preferring to scroll than turn pages. The public wants content and clickbait not legit reporting. Soulless companies buy up publications and dismantle them by bringing in people more interested in keeping costs down than good writing. It’s a sad world we writers live in.
It would be one thing if Streep merely reprised her character and collected her paycheck. She doesn’t. Miranda has evolved somewhat. In the first movie, she was the boss from hell who treated everybody with equal disdain and indifference. Times have changed since 2006. HR doesn’t allow bosses like Miranda to get away with the stuff they used to. Her assistant has to constantly stay on top of her at staff meetings, signaling her if she’s about to cross a line. Miranda still struggles to adjust to this new world order. Streep brings out the character’s vulnerable side without softening her edge. It’s a tricky balancing act, but she deftly pulls it off.
Hathaway is also very good as Andi, a not-so-young woman thrown back into the role of employee trying to please an impossible-to-please boss. She’s smart, but imperfect. Hathaway doesn’t play her as saintly or somebody who believes she’s above it all. Blunt is pitch-perfect as snotty Emily, a woman who still knows nothing about humility. Tucci gets the best lines as Nigel. The sparks still fly between Streep and Hathaway, but the chemistry between all four principals is solid. I can’t think of better casting. And Liu is the MVP here. She only has a couple of scenes, but she brings extra girl power to the table.
I know nothing about fashion. I can’t tell the difference between Dior and Versace. I don’t know most of the famous people that come from that world even though many faces familiar to fans pop up throughout. I recognized Donatella Versace, Heidi Klum and Lady Gaga. That’s it. To me, it’s an alien world. I can see the appeal though with all the glitz and glam. Milan Fashion Week, the setting for the finale, looks kind of exciting if you like that sort of thing. The point I’m trying to make is that The Devil Wears Prada 2 is an enjoyable movie. It’s funny and likable. It also has a point or two to make. It’s not a bad way to start the summer.
