The Devil Wears Prada 2, Reviewed By Someone Who Actually Works In Media
PSA: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD
By Grace De Luna | 30th April 2026I watched The Devil Wears Prada for the first time back in April 2014. I was eight years late to the party, but I was in the middle of my first job as a graphic designer for a lifestyle and culture magazine in a different country. The number of times I’ve watched it since? I’ve honestly lost count.
Fast forward to 2026, and I find myself at the Queensland premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2, still designing magazine pages (among many other things) for the fourth magazine title on my résumé, once again in a different country.
I rocked up to Reading Cinemas at Newmarket Village on a rainy Tuesday night, wearing my best attempt at Andy Sachs before she got the Runway fashion closet makeover. An interesting choice, yes – but as a confessed magazine nerd, I wanted to witness the movie of my life unfold before my eyes as though I were my 2014 self all over again. Lo and behold, here is what TJ Maxx dragged in: my review of The Devil Wears Prada 2. Or, in this case, should I say…TK Maxx?
The quick facts
Twenty years after the first film, this pop culture phenomenon is back to spill the tea from the workrooms of Runway Magazine. David Frankel returns to direct the sequel, with Aline Brosh McKenna back at the writer’s desk. The original cast of Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt all reprise their iconic roles as Miranda Priestly, Andy Sachs, Nigel Kipling, and Emily Charlton. Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman also return as Andy’s best friend, Lily, and Irv Ravitz, chairman of Elias-Clarke Publications, respectively. While Adrian Grenier’s Nate is conspicuously absent from the sequel, there are clearly no hard feelings – as evident by his recent Starbucks campaign.
Image: 20th Century Studios
They are joined by a stellar new cast. New additions include Kenneth Branagh, Simon Ashley, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, B.J. Novak, and Pauline Chalamet, among others. Branagh (known for Oppenheimer, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Much Ado About Nothing) and Theroux (recognisable from Fallout and American Psycho) bring serious dramatic weight to their respective roles. Ashley (Bridgerton, Sex Education) plays Amari, Miranda’s confident new first assistant, described as a voice of the new generation. Aussies in Hollywood are still very much going strong: Patrick Brammall of Colin from Accounts fame plays Peter, stepping into a significant role in Andy’s personal story.
It’s also worth noting that Anne Hathaway is having an absolutely extraordinary year. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is the first of five films she has lined up for 2026, following Mother Mary (14 May), ahead of The Odyssey (16 July), The End of Oak Street (14 August), and Verity (1 October). The woman deserves a rest, but not before we’ve seen all five.
On the marketing front, the film gave us one of the year’s most talked-about musical moments: Lady Gaga and Doechii’s “Runway”, directed by acclaimed Kiwi choreographer-turned-director Parris Goebel, is a striking blend of fashion, music, and movement. Goebel is no stranger to high-fashion spectacle. She has collaborated with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira on the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show, and with Rihanna on the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show and Savage X Fenty specials for Amazon Prime Video. As a longtime creative partner to Lady Gaga, she reunites with the Mother Monster following their previous collaboration on Gaga’s “Abracadabra.”
And of course, who could miss the cultural event that was Anna meets Miranda? The Vogue US May 2026 cover features both Wintour and Streep photographed by Annie Leibovitz and styled by Grace Coddington, with the cover story written by Wintour’s successor, Chloe Malle, and Greta Gerwig serving as the interview’s moderator. Remarkably, it marks the first time in Wintour’s more than 30-year career that she has appeared on the magazine’s cover. Iconic does not even begin to cover it.
The breakdown (literally!)
While it is a sequel to the 2006 dramedy movie based on Lauren Weisberger’s bestselling novel, the story departs from both Weisberger’s own novel sequels, Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns, and When Life Gives You Lululemons, to focus on a new premise entirely.
In this instalment, Miranda Priestly is fighting to keep Runway alive in a world dominated by digital media. Andy Sachs is back at the magazine as a top editor, while Emily Charlton has become a high-powered executive for a luxury fashion brand. The story follows these women as their lives collide again in a high-stakes battle for industry power.
Image: 20th Century Studios
The film is generously peppered with industry cameos. Fashion royalty, including Marc Jacobs, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, and Donatella Versace – wearing her signature purple power suit in a scene alongside Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway – all make appearances.
There is also a delicious, knowing jab at the much-rumoured Lady Gaga-Anna Wintour beef, as Miranda “calls in a favour” to book Lady Gaga to perform at the Runway Milan show for free, or else. The film’s standout performance moment sees Lady Gaga take the stage during a Milan fashion show sequence, performing what is rumoured (per Genius) to be a new original song titled “Shape of a Woman.”
On the fashion side, my personal highlight was Andy’s Hamptons look: a patchwork Gabriela Hearst dress that is, quite frankly, everything.
The film also earns genuine points for its sharp commentary on the relationship between media and advertising, drawing a clear and refreshingly honest line between editorial integrity and commercial interest.
The verdict
The sequel picks up where the first film left off, and it does so with remarkable ease. The cast slips back into their roles as if no time has passed. It is, in every sense, a homecoming. But beyond nostalgia, The Devil Wears Prada 2 functions as a surprisingly resonant cultural narration of our current moment. The plot may feel familiar if you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, but that is precisely the point. The media industry’s battle for survival in the digital age is not fiction. It is happening right now, in every sector, and the film wears that reality with the same unflinching elegance Miranda Priestly wears Prada (or Dior, or Dolce & Gabbana…)
What struck me most, though, was the film’s quiet observation of power. You can see quite clearly how even the most formidable personalities, Miranda Priestly included, are not immune to the shifting standards of the times. What might have passed as a sharp, witty remark a decade ago now carries the very real risk of being deemed “cancel-worthy.” It is played with a light hand, but the observation lands.
The film hits especially close to home for anyone working in media or journalism. While the word “AI” is spoken aloud only once in the entire film, its presence as the unspoken villain lingers in every scene, in every conversation about relevance, revenue, and survival. It does not need to be named to be felt.
There is also something genuinely heartwarming about seeing long-overdue recognition finally come to those who earned it – Nigel, in particular, receives the moment he deserved, and the audience reaction says everything. And the film is, at its core, a portrait of women who get things done. Watching a woman who was once scorned, now fully back on her feet and operating at full force, is quietly, powerfully moving.
Is the plot a little expected? Perhaps. Not in a way that disappoints, but more in the way that feels like watching something true. The movie ends on a hopeful note, although you can still feel the uncertainty of the future in the air. But at this point, we’ll take it as a win.
Image: 20th Century Studios
The whole film’s look and feel, whilst being criticised for having that digital blandness they call the ‘Netflix look’, is also a representation of how this story has grown over the years. Glamorous photo shoots that were once produced for the glossy pages of a magazine to keep and collect are now 30-second videos people scroll past while in the loo. But one thing is for sure, the fashion is still very much on point.
The iconic cerulean blue sweater makes its appearance, and somehow, it still gets you right in the chest. If you loved the first film, I genuinely cannot imagine you walking out of this one unhappy. My 2014 self would be very pleased indeed.
My only wish: a little more creative director/art director representation. A scene where Miranda tells the designer to increase the heading font size on the left-hand page? I would have screamed.
Here’s a little fun thing to check out: Search ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ or ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ on Google and watch a little surprise walk across your screen. You’re welcome.
Gird your loins! The Devil Wears Prada 2 is in cinemas now, and love it or hate it, it’s worth watching. That’s all.
Imagery: 20th Century Studios
