A sequel? For a beloved movie from almost 20 years ago that already closed the book quite neatly? Groundbreaking. The Devil Wears Prada 2 comes out May 1, just in time for the Met Gala, and there’s already a lot to take in. Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Meryl Streep are all back, there are some new young people joining the staff at Runway, and you will be able to enjoy this movie with a giant plastic purse filled with popcorn. Here’s everything we know about the movie ahead of its arrival.
Everyone is coming back.
Well, almost everyone. Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt were the first two to sign on for the sequel, reprising their roles as Miranda Priestly and Emily Charlton, respectively. Never ones to miss out on a good time, Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci later joined the project, her as Andy Sachs and him as Nigel Kipling, obviously. Tracie Thoms is also returning as Andy’s best friend, Lily. The creative team from the first movie is also back, with David Frankel directing a screenplay from Aline Brosh McKenna.
A few people have been left out of the reunion. Patricia Field isn’t doing costumes this time around. That daunting title went to her protégé, And Just Like That costume designer Molly Rogers. Also missing this time around is Adrien Grenier, who will not be reprising his role as Nate, Andy’s reasonably upset boyfriend. (He theorized that he wasn’t asked back because of “backlash” about his character.)
And a bunch of new people are joining the cast.
The ensemble is pretty stacked. Kenneth Branagh has joined the cast to play Miranda’s new husband. Variety reports that Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, and Pauline Chalamet also joined. Because it’s fun to guess, I’m going to say that Liu is a rival fashion editor, Theroux is a love interest for Emily Blunt, Novak is Anne Hathaway’s husband, and Chalamet is her bright-eyed protégée.
For Broadway fans, Maybe Happy Ending’s Helen J. Shen and Oh, Mary!’s Conrad Ricamora also signed on, as did Caleb Hearon and Patrick Brammall. Simone Ashley was spotted in the Runway offices in a recent trailer. There’s also Rachel Bloom — who, along with McKenna, created Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. In perhaps the biggest stunt-casting news yet, Lady Gaga also apparently has a role, per Variety, and was spotted in Milan while the movie filmed there.
The plot is still sort of unclear.
While the first movie has a plot you could explain to a toddler — unstylish woman takes a job working for the most powerful woman in fashion, terror ensues — it’s less obvious what DWP2 is about. When the sequel was first reported in July 2024, Hathaway had yet to join the project, so the plot was focused on Streep and Blunt’s characters. The synopsis on the film’s IMDb page still reads, “Follows Miranda Priestly’s struggle against Emily Charlton, her former assistant turned rival executive, as they compete for advertising revenue amidst declining print media while Miranda nears retirement.”
Based on the trailers that have come out so far, it’s unclear if that’s still the plot. What we do know is that Andy is back at Runway, the crew is going back to Europe, and Miranda may or may not be showing signs of memory loss. Am I to believe that she really wouldn’t remember Andy? How many assistants of hers went from frumpy to fab during their tenure and eventually quit in the middle of Paris Fashion Week? It can’t be more than two. Maybe three.
In a teaser released in March, we find out that Andy is now the features editor at Runway. Fun! We also see that she and Emily ride on a boat together on what looks like Lake Como. Also fun! We don’t have to address Miranda asking if she’s “allowed” to joke about methadone clinics.
But we know there will be lots of looks.
The movie was shot in New York last summer, and the paparazzi were all over it. Hathaway was photographed carrying a Runway garment bag in front of the Hampton Jitney, letting us know that this film will take us out East. Streep was snapped on set a few times with her signature icy hair and dark shades, usually wearing some impeccably tailored neutrals.
There have also been shots of what appears to be the DWP universe’s Met Gala at the American Museum of Natural History. In photos from that day of filming, Streep can be seen posing in an elegant red gown on Tucci’s arm.
There are also a ton of big-name models apparently showing up to Miranda’s gala. Ashley Graham, Karolina Kurkova, Alek Wek, and Bregje Heinen all appeared on the museum steps, as did … Ciara? Yeah, I guess Ciara is in this movie too.
Yes, there will be a specialty popcorn bucket.
It’s shaped like a purse.
AMC is also giving out sunglasses and an issue of Runway at its early screenings. If you’re more of a Regal girl, never fear. That chain will also have a purse-shaped vessel for you to fill with popcorn and some “limited-edition drinkware” that it’s describing as “chic.”
I would love to see the look on Miranda’s face as she watches someone eat popcorn out of a purse.
This post has been updated.