Andy Sachs returns to Runway magazine after 20 years to serve as their Features Editor, much to Miranda Priestly’s surprise.
Long-awaited sequels don’t have the best track record, but thankfully, The Devil Wears Prada 2 bucks the trend and proves how it should be done.
This sequel, which takes place 20 years after the 2006 original, begins with Anne Hathaway’s character Andy Sachs, now a well-respected newspaper journalist, being unceremoniously laid off from her job via text.
After her passionate speech about the future of journalism goes viral online, she is hired to be the Features Editor of Runway magazine, where she used to serve as the second assistant to icy editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Her appointment comes as a huge surprise to Miranda, who can’t even remember her.
When the future of Runway becomes uncertain following a change in leadership at Runway’s parent company, Andy tries to come up with a plan to save the magazine and everybody’s jobs.
Many legacy sequels are often serviceable but coast by on nostalgia and fan service. There are plenty of nostalgic moments and references for fans in The Devil Wears Prada 2, but it’s also so much more than that.
It tells a whole new story that makes sense for 2026 – rather than going over what came before – and the characters and their dynamics have changed considerably over the past 20 years.
Writer Aline Brosh McKenna, who also penned the original, is aware of how print journalism has changed and honestly depicts the challenges facing journalists nowadays, from layoffs to budget cuts and the threat of AI.
In addition, she knows that Miranda’s workplace behaviour would not be considered acceptable in today’s society, and she couldn’t be so cold and rude to her employees (something her new assistant, played by Simone Ashley, often reminds her).
But for the people who just want to see fabulous fashion, gorgeous people and grand locations, the film delivers that too, on a much greater scale than the first film, which had a smaller budget and less participation from the fashion industry.
This sequel is packed full of celebrity cameos, fun pop songs (including three Lady Gaga originals) and major fashion events, like Milan Fashion Week.
Fans of the original will get that warm, fuzzy feeling being reunited with the core four once again. Andy is much more confident and fashionable (how does she afford these clothes?), and the power differential between her and Miranda is smaller, so it’s interesting to see this new dynamic play out.
As for Miranda, she is much more of a human compared to her evil boss persona in the first film, however, her bite and aloofness are slightly missed.
Stanley Tucci has a meaningful role as Runway’s art director and Andy’s confidante Nigel, and Emily Blunt is sassy and hilarious as assistant-turned-Dior executive Emily.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is not perfect, but it’s much better than typical legacy sequel standards. It honours the original without rehashing it, tells a worthwhile new story that justifies its existence, and delightfully reunites us with this amazing core four.
In cinemas from Friday 1st May
By Hannah Wales
© Cover Media