Early reactions to The Devil Wears Prada 2 began spilling out after press screenings over the last week or so, giving the sequel its first public test before it opens in theaters on May 1. The film held its world premiere at Lincoln Center in New York City on April 20, with a live stream on Disney+ and Hulu, before moving on to a European premiere in London on April 22 and events in Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Milan.
Simone Ashley is among the new names in a cast that brings back Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs, Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton and Stanley Tucci. The sequel also features Justin Theroux as Emily’s boyfriend, Kenneth Branagh as Miranda’s new husband, and new additions including Lucy Liu, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Pauline Chalamet, B. J. Novak, Conrad Ricamora and Rachel Bloom. Cameos come from Donatella Versace, Lady Gaga, Ciara, Calum Harper and Ashley Graham.
David Frankel returns to direct, with Aline Brosh McKenna back as screenwriter, and the story picks up with Miranda and Andy trying to bring Runway Magazine back to relevance in the digital media age. They also have to seek out Emily’s help, a twist that turns the sequel into less of a reunion than a scramble. That gives the new film a sharper problem than nostalgia alone: the old power structure is back, but the magazine world around it has changed.
The original The Devil Wears Prada arrived in 2006 and went on to make $327 million at the global box office, turning it into a pop culture fixture and making a follow-up an unusually long time in coming. The delay was tied to years of hesitation from the lead actors about returning, which is why this sequel landing in 2026 carries more weight than a routine franchise revival. The question now is whether the movie can turn that built-in affection into another crowd-pleaser, or whether the return of Miranda Priestly only works because the culture still wants to hear her again.