A sequel? Groundbreaking! Nearly twenty years after The Devil Wears Prada reshaped office culture, fashion culture, and half of TikTok’s vocabulary, the sharpest stilettos in cinema are clicking back into place. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci reunite for the sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2, picking up the story that turned a publishing satire into a generational touchstone.
Disney and 20th Century Studios have released the first official trailer, giving fans their long-awaited glimpse of Miranda Priestly’s return to the throne. The footage teases a glossier, colder, funnier world (yes, with a few well-placed pursed lips) and confirms that several scenes were filmed in Milan, signaling a global step-up in scale. Producer Wendy Finerman, the Oscar-winning force behind Forrest Gump, once again leads the project.
Here’s everything we know so far about The Devil Wears Prada 2 – from the returning cast to the story clues hidden in the trailer. [Trailer at the end of the article]
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Why the sequel is arriving now
Nearly two decades after the original became a cultural landmark, The Devil Wears Prada has surged back into the spotlight. The timing of the sequel is no accident. The story’s renewed relevance – fueled by the hit West End musical featuring Vanessa Williams and music by Elton John – reminded studios just how enduring the franchise remains. Earlier this year, the cast’s headline-grabbing reunion at the SAG Awards only intensified fan demand.
With fashion, media, and workplace culture undergoing massive shifts since 2006, the world of Runway feels newly ripe for reinvention. Disney and 20th Century Studios recognized the moment: nostalgia is high, the industry has changed beyond recognition, and Miranda Priestly’s icy authority now reads in an entirely different cultural context. That combination created the perfect storm for a sequel.
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Main cast and returning characters
In the original film, Meryl Streep delivered an iconic, razor-edged performance as Miranda Priestly, the fearsome editor-in-chief of Runway. Anne Hathaway starred as Andrea Sachs, the earnest assistant navigating the magazine’s high-pressure world, while Emily Blunt’s portrayal of the ambitious Emily Charlton became a breakout moment in her career. Stanley Tucci, as the stylish and supportive Nigel, rounded out a cast that helped define the film’s lasting legacy.
Streep’s performance earned a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination, and Patricia Field’s costume design scored an additional Academy nod. The story’s origins in Lauren Weisberger’s bestselling novel – loosely inspired by her experience at Vogue – only added to its global appeal.
A bigger ensemble: new faces and new dynamics
According to Entertainment Weekly, the core four return: Hathaway, Streep, Blunt, and Tucci. Joining them is an expanded ensemble of high-profile names that signals a more ambitious, international sequel.
Kenneth Branagh steps in as Miranda’s new husband, while Simone Ashley of Bridgerton fame plays a still-undisclosed role expected to be significant. Additional cast members include Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B. J. Novak, Pauline Chalamet, Helen J. Shen, Conrad Ricamora, and Caleb Hearon.
Plot: a battle for survival in a changing industry
This time, the story confronts a crisis Miranda Priestly cannot dismiss with a withering glance: the collapse of print media. As traditional magazines face staggering declines, Runway’s survival hinges on digital reinvention and advertising revenue – now controlled by a newly powerful executive, Emily Charlton. The once-intimidated assistant has become the gatekeeper Miranda needs, setting the stage for a rivalry built not on handbags and humiliations, but on the brutal economics of today’s media landscape.
Andy Sachs returns as a confident, influential fashion editor, reflecting her growth and the franchise’s interest in how women evolve in high-pressure, high-visibility careers.
Although Lauren Weisberger’s follow-up novel Revenge Wears Prada exists, the film is charting a divergent path. Disney’s goal is clear: to capture the original’s sharp wit and cultural bite while expanding its world for a new generation. The first film earned $326.7 million at the global box office; expectations for the sequel are understandably high.
Production: who’s behind the camera and filming locations
With fan excitement reaching a new peak, Disney moved quickly. Filming began in late June, spanning both New York and Milan – two capitals of global fashion. Crucially, the creative team behind the original returns intact: director David Frankel, screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, and producer Wendy Finerman, the Oscar-winning powerhouse behind Forrest Gump.
Their comeback ensures a continuity of tone and vision, something franchise fans have loudly hoped for. By timing the release strategically just before the Met Gala, Disney is clearly positioning the film not only as a sequel, but as a cultural moment.
Release date and production
Disney has set the theatrical release for May 1, 2026 – strategically scheduled to land just ahead of the Met Gala, a date that practically begs for a Miranda Priestly meme resurgence.
Watch the first official trailer
The newly released trailer leans into Italian elegance, opening with the unmistakable image of Miranda Priestly striding across tiled floors in a pair of glossy Valentino-red heels – an unmistakable nod to Italy’s fashion capital and a loud reminder that no one commands a room quite like her.
