Cheyenne Suarez

Movie review: ‘Devil Wears Prada’ sequel matures along with its characters

Article (news)

Fred Hawson

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777608630105g_20cs_the_devil_wears_prada_2_7_a76811a9.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="A scene from ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2.’ 20th Century Studios"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A scene from ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2.’ <em>20th Century Studios</em></span></span></span></div><p>High-profile editor-in-chief of Runway fashion magazine Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) had been involved in a heated controversy. In an effort to stem the negative online reactions and beef up credibility, Runway chairman Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman) called up Andrea &quot;Andy&quot; Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a multi-awarded journalist who used to be Miranda&#x27;s former second assistant 20 years ago, and hired her as Runway&#x27;s new features editor. </p><p>Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci) was still working in Runway as Miranda&#x27;s trusted right hand man, and still very helpful to Andy with regards to her fashion choices, as he did before. Miranda&#x27;s former first assistant Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt) was now out of Runway, working in Dior in a high executive capacity. Photographer Lily (Tracie Thoms) was still Andy&#x27;s supportive (and designer bag-loving) BFF whom she can turn to for advice.</p><p>Miranda already has a new husband, musician Stuart (Kenneth Branagh). Emily&#x27;s new boyfriend is tech tycoon Benji Barnes (Justin Theroux), ex-husband of philanthropist Sasha Barnes (Lucy Liu).  Andy now has a resourceful, but dowdy assistant of her own, Jin Chao (Helen J. Shen) -- like how Andy was before, but Asian. Andy meets an architect of a luxury apartment named Peter (Peter Brammall), with whom she develops a romance.</p><p>Miranda here was still as arch and imperious as ever, and Meryl Streep played her with utmost glee. However, unlike the first film where Miranda was Runway&#x27;s only big boss, there was now a company chairman Irv and his son Jay (BJ Novak) who were making decisions above Miranda. Now only available in digital format, Runway was also not the mighty fashion bible it was before. There were now more scenes of her being more vulnerable this time around. </p><p>As seen in the awards ceremony at the start of this sequel, Anne Hathaway&#x27;s Andy was very confident and self-assured when she was doing her work as a serious journalist at her old paper, the Vanguard. However, once she was back in the service of Miranda, she seemed to have just reverted to her former self --  insecure, approval-seeking, still with that the same eagerness to please despite how impossible Miranda&#x27;s order was. </p><p>Stanley Tucci reminds us why his character Nigel remains to be the fan favorite in this sequel, as much as he was in the first film. His final revelation to Andy made Nigel positively more beloved than ever. Similarly, Emily Blunt&#x27;s portrayal of Emily still carried with it some subtle bitchiness about her like it did in the first film. As this new Emily had more power and position, Blunt pulled that precarious balance of being Andy&#x27;s frenemy very well. </p><p>While it was great to see the original cast (&quot;the core four&quot;) together again, this sequel was more about journalism and fashion adapting to technology in the present time, tackling intricate business maneuverings, from mergers to takeovers in both these industries. While the first film brought us into Fashion Week in Paris, this sequel brings us to Milan to pay tribute to Italian haute couture.</p><p>Overall, director David Frankel&#x27;s first movie was more entertaining, with light comedy and romance. But as the characters have matured two decades, his sequel, while still fun (with a lot more cameos from fashion personalities plus Lady Gaga), had a more serious tone and thoughtful mood.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>This review was originally published in the author&#x27;s blog, “<a href="https://said-fred.blogspot.com/2026/04/review-of-devil-wears-prada-2-advanced.html">Fred Said</a>.”</em></div>

<p>Trading rom-com fizz for corporate maneuvering, this sequel revisits familiar faces in a fashion world reshaped by technology. Seeing Miranda, Andy, and Nigel together again is reason enough to return to Runway.</p>

Trading rom-com fizz for corporate maneuvering, this sequel revisits familiar faces in a fashion world reshaped by technology. Seeing Miranda, Andy, and Nigel together again is reason enough to return to Runway.