Meryl Streep & Anne Hathaway are back. We say whether the Prada sequel is a worthy continuation of the cult film.
Twenty years after the cult classic, “The Devil Wears Prada” returns – and it seems surprisingly contemporary. While the first film exposed the merciless mechanics of the fashion world as a personal power game, the sequel shifts the focus: away from individual combat and towards an industry in transition between the print crisis, cancel culture and constant digital acceleration.
“The Devil Wears Prada” catapulted us into a New York glitter inferno in 2006: the naive Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) becomes the assistant to the ice-cold runway boss Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) – a character who is clearly based on the Vogue legend Anna Wintour. The film is based on the best-selling novel of the same name, which Wintour’s former assistant Lauren Weisberger wrote about her boss.
Between the Chanel chaos, Paris Fashion Week and a makeover by Nigel (Stanley Tucci), Andy sacrificed friends and morals until she came to the conclusion: the industry eats souls. The film became a global hit and made Wintour an unwitting icon – despite initial industry fears of caricature, she even wore Prada to the premiere.
The sequel hype was already evident before the premiere: Hathaway and Wintour hosted the 2026 Oscars and Streep posed as Miranda with Wintour on the Vogue cover – a historical break since the boss had never appeared on the cover before. Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, director David Frankel and composer Theodore Shapiro are back for the second part. The German cinema release is April 30, 2026.
Back to Runway
Andy Sachs returns to Runway as a seasoned journalist. Meanwhile, Miranda Priestly is confronted with the decline of traditional print media and growing public pressure due to a scandal. Amid economic crises and rivalries, Andy must balance loyalty, career and her old values - while a new CEO turns everything upside down. The film combines fashion glamor with the media realities of 2026.
Cast & characters
Meryl Streep is once again the center of the film – cool, precise, iconic. It seems as if she never left Miranda Priestly. Her presence carries the sequel effortlessly. Anne Hathaway plays Andy more mature and controlled, but with an underlying trace of chaos that continues to make the character relatable. Stanley Tucci as Nigel remains the stylistic and emotional backbone of the film – charming, clever and with a keen sense of fashion and people. Emily Blunt is finally allowed to escalate further as Emily and shows herself in Dior excess with biting humor and wonderfully malicious sharpness.
Among the new additions, Caleb Hearon stands out as an assistant with perfect comedic timing and Simone Ashley as an elegant, subtle counterpart in the runway system. BJ Novak as Irv’s son is convincing as a ruthless, exaggerated and idiotic CEO who embodies tech-bro arrogance in its purest form.
The cameos – from Law Roach to Donatella Versace – remain rather decorative, but fit organically into the fashion universe without overloading the film. Kenneth Branagh, who plays Miranda’s husband, provides a charming side note: in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” he played Gilderoy Lockhart – creating a subtle but effective connection to the first part, in which the fashion mogul’s children are obsessed with Harry Potter.
Staging, style & music
Visually, the film is exactly what you would hope for from a Prada sequel: a stylish fashion world between timelessness and the present. Miranda’s look remains as usual and Nigel also delivers his quiet style philosophy again.
Andy appears more fashionably confident and less determined by others – even if she continues to end up in situations in which Nigel has to “save” her. Emily’s Dior phase, on the other hand, is deliberately exaggerated and almost an ironic comment on brand fixation.
The fashion montages are great visual fun, and current trends weave in organically: Gorpcore is mentioned in the meeting, social media discourse takes place, and Priestly has to be careful what she says – all subtle, neither didactic nor patronizing.
Musically, however, the film falls short of its predecessor. Madonna’s “Vogue” is used cleverly, but overall there is no really memorable sound.
Sequel instead of reinvention
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is not an attempt to surpass the original film – but rather to translate it into a new media reality. The focus on structural change rather than personal advancement works surprisingly well, even if not every supporting character is drawn equally. The protagonists all find their way and complete their story well. The sequel addresses print death, journalistic integrity and viral chaos smartly and precisely, without getting lost in influencer hysteria or social media discourse.
The film is clearly carried by Streep, Hathaway and Tucci, who play their roles with a naturalness, as if there had never been a break. The new additions provide fresh energy without displacing the center.
In the end, we’re left with a sequel that’s less revolutionary than cleverly observational – and that’s exactly why it works. No fashion earthquakes like in 2006, but an elegant reflection of an industry in constant transition. In Miranda’s words: That’s it.
