'The Devil Wears Prada 2' film review: Prêt-à-porter sequel to the avant-garde original
One of the great modern film antagonists of the 21st century returns in the comedy drama 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' (opening in theaters nationwide May 1).
In short: Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) returns to Runway as editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) navigates Runway's position in a new media landscape. Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Justin Theroux and Kenneth Branagh also star.
When it comes to movie sequels, twenty years is a very long stretch between films. And when it comes to a story seemingly so self-contained as the 2006 predecessor - wherein journalistically-inclined Andy takes a job that "a million girls would kill for" as the assistant to the extremely demanding editor of fashion magazine Runway - Andy's story seemed very resolved after the first film. So the question naturally comes up: "why need a sequel?"
'Prada 2' does in fact use all the pieces from the first film to shape a new story that makes sense of Andy, who has become an established journalist in the 20 years since fetching Miranda Priestly's morning coffee. Oddly enough, the film is very similar to the first one - but in a good way: the basic story beats echo the first film. This sequel feels familar in tone, basic plot and tenor - but it's the character dynamics that have changed. Andy isn't some lowly, nearly nameless assistant at Runway anymore - she returns to Runway as an accomplishd professional in her own right, a character worthy of being considered a peer to Miranda Priestly and not just some lowly, disposable lackey.
The sequel feels so familar to the 2006 original because almost everyone from the original returns for 'Prada 2' - and not just the film's biggest stars. The 2006 original movie's director (David Frankel), writer (Aline Brosh McKenna), composer (Theodore Shapiro) and composer (Florian Ballhaus) all return for this sequel, ensuring the very texture and feeling of 'Prada 2' aligns with the original. The splashy one-sheet posters celebrate the return of Hathaway, Streep, Tucci and Blunt as the core characters in the sequel, and it's genuinely comforting to watch them step back into their archetypal roles from the 2006 original.
It's as-if Miranda Priestly and Nigel (Streep and Tucci respectively) were preserved in cryostasis - the two leaders at Runway remain very true to their characters from the first film, even if the fashion landscape has changed since the early 2000s. Miranda Priestly is fundamentally who she is - a career-first icon who has prioritized profession above all else. In Streep's hands, she remains a force of nature - elemental and unwavering. Tucci remains her more humane and empathetic counterpart at Runway - a man who deftly thrives in the fashion business, but sympathetic to Andy's struggles. Two decades, however, have reshaped the lives of Andy and Emily (Blunt), which makes sense as Priestly and Nigel were already entrenched at Runway, whereas the much younger Andy and Emily were at the start of their careers. Watching Emily evolve from obedient subordinate to more of an x-factor this time around - a woman who actively affects the plot in 'Prada 2' - is exciting.
The plight of every sequel is the inevitable "is it as good as the original" question that comes up - and on this front, 'Prada 2' doesn't quite meet the standard of the original. Part of this was the unexpected fun of watching Streep embody one of modern film's best antagonists as the titular 'Devil' named Miranda Priestly. That same delightful surprise is somewhat defused in 2026, as Miranda Priestly is a known commodity at this point - a well-defined visionary, demanding and ruthless industry leader.
The first film is fundamentally rooted not in some conflict between Andy and Miranda Priestly (as they are certainly not peers or characters of equal standing), but rather an internal conflict for Andy's values - specifically whether she could or ever would make the same career-focused sacrifices that Priestly made. This sequel ... is basically about saving jobs at Runway. There's some passing critique of click-bait content and a general disinterest of substantial articles in a world that now favors IG stories. The original film had a cutting scene that succinctly and sharply made the argument (the great 'blue sweater' scene) that haute couture fashion didn't merely satisfy the whims of fashionistas - it reshaped economies and defined everyday sensibility. 'Prada 2' has no such scene - which is a shame as the script hints at the story's misgivings about short-form content, AI and the erosion of quality content in favor of disposable content.
The original film had Andy struggle to define who should would become, with Priestly serving as a cautionary potential future iteration, making it a story of identity. The sequel is an enjoyable reunion with familiar characters, but is more plot-centric (with Andy and the crew trying to save Runway) than seriously forcing the characters to existentially reassess their place in the new media world of 2026.
Final verdict: Fans of the original will enjoy reuniting with the editors of Runway as 'Prada 2' truly feels like an organic and natural next chapter in Andy's story at Runway. Familar in tone, but just less heart than the original.
Score: 3.5 / 5
''The Devil Wears Prada 2' opens in theaters nationwide May 1. This comedy drama has a runtime of 119 minutes and is rated PG-13 for strong language and some suggestive references.
