Twenty years is a long time to wait for a sequel — but The Devil Wears Prada 2 has proven that great characters never go out of style. Released in theaters across the United States on May 1, 2026, the long-awaited follow-up to the 2006 cultural phenomenon has taken the USA box office by storm, earning over $546 million worldwide in its first three weeks and cementing itself as one of the biggest films of the year.

With Meryl Streep back as the iconic Miranda Priestly, Anne Hathaway returning as Andy Sachs, and a brand-new story that tackles the very real collapse of print media and journalism, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is more than just nostalgia — it’s a bold, timely, and undeniably entertaining return to Runway magazine.

Whether you’ve been a fan since 2006 or you’re discovering Miranda Priestly for the first time, here is everything you need to know about The Devil Wears Prada 2 — the plot, the cast, the box office numbers, the reviews, and why America simply cannot stop talking about it.

What Is The Devil Wears Prada 2?

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is the official sequel to the beloved 2006 comedy-drama film The Devil Wears Prada, which was itself based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 bestselling novel of the same name. The original film starred Meryl Streep as the terrifying editor-in-chief of a prestigious fashion magazine, and Anne Hathaway as her hapless but ultimately triumphant assistant.

The sequel was produced by 20th Century Studios under the Disney banner and reunites nearly the entire original creative team — including director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna — along with the original cast. It is rated PG-13 and runs for 1 hour and 59 minutes.

The casting calls for the movie initially used the code name “Cerulean” — a nod to the famous cerulean sweater monologue delivered by Streep’s Miranda Priestly in the original film, widely regarded as one of the greatest speeches in modern cinema history.

The Devil Wears Prada 2: Official Plot

Set two decades after the events of the first film, The Devil Wears Prada 2 finds both Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs at very different — and yet strangely parallel — crossroads in their careers.

Andy Sachs has become exactly what she dreamed of being: a respected, award-winning investigative reporter working for the New York Vanguard. But just as she is about to receive a prestigious journalism award, her entire newsroom is abruptly laid off by text message. The cold, corporate cruelty of it feels devastatingly familiar to anyone working in media today.

Meanwhile, Miranda Priestly is facing her own crisis. Runway magazine — the sleek, powerful fashion bible she has ruled with an iron fist for decades — has published a glowing puff piece about a fashion brand that is later revealed to be using sweatshop labor. The scandal damages Runway’s credibility at precisely the moment the print media industry is struggling to survive.

To restore Runway’s reputation for serious journalism, Irv Ravitz — the chairman of Runway’s parent company Elias-Clarke — makes a bold and infuriating decision: he hires Andy as Runway’s new features editor without consulting Miranda. The announcement creates an immediate collision between two women who parted ways two decades ago under complicated circumstances.

The stakes escalate further when Irv’s son Jay takes over executive control and begins pushing for aggressive layoffs and budget cuts that threaten to destroy everything Miranda has built. For the first time, Andy and Miranda find themselves on the same side — fighting not against each other, but against the corporate forces threatening to erase the world of serious journalism and fashion media altogether.

Adding another layer of drama is Emily Charlton — Miranda’s former assistant, now played as a formidable rival executive leading a major luxury brand. Emily possesses the advertising revenue that could save Runway — but she is not about to hand it over without a fight.

Full Cast of The Devil Wears Prada 2

Returning Cast Members

Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly Streep returns as the character that became synonymous with her legend — the imperious, brilliant, and deeply complicated editor of Runway magazine. Critics agree that Streep slips back into Miranda’s skin effortlessly, delivering a performance that adds emotional depth and vulnerability to a character previously defined by cold authority. In 2026, Miranda is still powerful, still exacting — but now she must face the reality of her own mortality and the possible end of everything she built.

Anne Hathaway as Andrea “Andy” Sachs Hathaway returns as Andy, now a seasoned and respected journalist navigating her own unexpected career crisis. The chemistry between Hathaway and Streep remains the electric heart of the film — two extraordinary performers who bring out the best in each other in every scene they share.

Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton Emily Blunt reprises her role as the sharp-tongued, fashion-obsessed Emily — Miranda’s former assistant who has reinvented herself as a powerful luxury brand executive. Blunt’s Emily is now the rival rather than the sideline character, and Blunt brings fierce energy to every scene.

Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling Stanley Tucci returns as Nigel, Runway’s beloved art director and Andy’s most reliable ally. Tucci’s warmth and wit remain a crucial emotional anchor in the film, providing moments of levity and genuine heart amid the fashion-world drama.

Tracie Thoms as Lily and Tibor Feldman as Irv also reprise their roles from the original film.

New Cast Members

Kenneth Branagh joins as a major addition to the franchise, bringing his formidable screen presence to a key role in the Elias-Clarke corporate power struggle.

B.J. Novak as Jay Ravitz — Irv’s ambitious, cost-cutting son who becomes the primary antagonist threatening Runway’s future with ruthless corporate efficiency.

Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Pauline Chalamet, and Conrad Ricamora round out an exceptionally deep ensemble cast that brings fresh energy to the Runway universe.

Box Office Performance: The Numbers Behind the Magic

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is not just a critical success — it is a box office phenomenon that has energized the entire American movie industry in 2026.

Opening Weekend

The film opened on May 1, 2026, and immediately dominated. It earned $32.5 million on its opening day, including $10 million from Thursday night preview screenings alone. The opening weekend brought in massive numbers from a wide release across 4,150 theaters in the United States.

Week-by-Week Performance

Week	Domestic Gross	Notable Event
Week 1	$80M+	Biggest comedy opening of 2026
Week 2	$41.6M	Only 46% drop — exceptional hold
Week 3	#1 at Box Office	Held off all competition
Total (as of May 17)	$176M domestic	Still climbing

Global Box Office

As of May 17, 2026, The Devil Wears Prada 2 has grossed:

$176 million in the United States and Canada
$370 million in international markets
$546 million total worldwide

This makes it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2026 — an extraordinary achievement for a comedy sequel with a $100 million production budget.

The Marketing Machine

The marketing campaign behind The Devil Wears Prada 2 was reportedly one of the largest promotional efforts ever undertaken by Disney. The Hollywood Reporter estimated the campaign’s promotional value at $250 million, supported by major brand partnerships with Dior, Google, The Coca-Cola Company, Grey Goose, Mercedes-Benz, L’Oréal, Zillow, TRESemmé, and United Airlines.

The first teaser trailer, released on November 12, 2025, was reportedly the most-viewed comedy trailer in 15 years, generating a staggering 181.5 million views in its first 24 hours. The full trailer, released February 1, 2026, recorded 222 million views in its first 24 hours — the most-viewed trailer in 20th Century Studios’ history.

The Soundtrack: Lady Gaga and Doechii Hit the Runway

One of the most talked-about elements of The Devil Wears Prada 2 is its show-stopping original soundtrack.

The second trailer for the film included a preview of “Runway” — an original song performed by Lady Gaga and Doechii. The track, which shares its title with the fictional magazine, features a house-pop style that immediately generated enormous buzz. It was released as a single on April 9, 2026, weeks before the film’s premiere.

Lady Gaga also performs an additional original song called “Shape of a Woman” within the film itself.

The score was composed by Theodore Shapiro, who also scored the original 2006 film, and features 20 tracks totaling 39 minutes of original music.

Critical Reception: What Are the Reviews Saying?

The Devil Wears Prada 2 has received generally positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its performances and the timely resonance of its media industry storyline.

Rotten Tomatoes Consensus

Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus describes the film as: “Meryl Streep still wears Miranda Priestly like a finely-tailored suit in this sinfully enjoyable sequel, which is dressed to the nines in off-the-rack wish fulfillment and some trenchant observations about the state of modern media. With its all-star cast dressed to the nines and an empowering story that fittingly expands the saga, The Devil Wears Prada 2 proves that a classic can be restyled with the right accessories.”

What Critics Loved

Most reviewers agreed on several key strengths of the film. Meryl Streep’s performance received universal praise — critics noted she brings genuine emotional vulnerability to Miranda Priestly that the first film only hinted at. The storyline’s sharp commentary on the collapse of print journalism and the corporate gutting of newsrooms resonated strongly with critics who work in media themselves, giving the film an authenticity that elevates it above simple nostalgia.

The chemistry between Streep and Hathaway was widely celebrated as the film’s greatest asset. Audiences responded with intense enthusiasm to every moment the two share the screen — a testament to what genuinely extraordinary performances can do for a film.

Where Critics Were More Divided

Some critics felt that the sequel, while enjoyable, lacks the electric originality of the first film. NPR’s review noted that the story about saving the magazine “feels timely in some ways, but deeply unconvincing in others.” Several critics pointed out that certain subplots felt underwritten or resolved too conveniently, and that the film sometimes relies on callbacks to the original rather than forging its own identity.

Audience Response

Audience reactions have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Viewers praised the fast pacing, the humor, the fashion, and the emotional payoff of seeing these beloved characters reunited after two decades. Many noted it is the rare sequel that feels like a genuine reunion rather than a cynical cash grab — largely thanks to the evident care and commitment of the cast and the original creative team’s return.

The Fashion: Dressed to Impress

No Devil Wears Prada film would be complete without extraordinary fashion — and the sequel delivers on that front in spectacular fashion.

The costume department worked closely with major luxury brands to outfit the characters in looks that reflect both their personalities and their 2026 circumstances. Miranda’s wardrobe remains the most talked-about — her evolution from the cold authority of the first film toward something more complex is reflected subtly in every choice of color, silhouette, and fabric.

The film’s fashion moments generated enormous discussion on social media even before release, with fashion critics and enthusiasts dissecting each look from the trailers with forensic precision.

The Real-World Connection: Anna Wintour

The character of Miranda Priestly has long been understood as a fictionalized portrait of Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine and one of the most powerful figures in American fashion history.

In a remarkable real-world moment, Anna Wintour appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine in April 2026 alongside Meryl Streep — a full-circle moment that acknowledged the connection between fiction and reality that has defined the franchise from its beginning.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 vs. The Original: How Does It Compare?

Factor	The Devil Wears Prada (2006)	The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)
Director	David Frankel	David Frankel
Screenplay	Aline Brosh McKenna	Aline Brosh McKenna
Budget	$35 million	$100 million
Worldwide Gross	$326 million	$546 million (still in theaters)
Setting	NYC Fashion World 2006	NYC Fashion + Media World 2026
Central Theme	Career ambition vs. values	Survival of journalism and art
Andy’s Role	Eager assistant	Seasoned journalist
Miranda’s Arc	Untouchable power	Vulnerability + legacy

Why Is The Devil Wears Prada 2 So Popular in the USA Right Now?

The film’s extraordinary success in America comes down to several converging factors that make it particularly resonant in 2026.

The Nostalgia Factor: A generation of Americans who grew up watching the original film as teenagers or young adults are now in their 30s and 40s — and they showed up in enormous numbers to see what happened to Miranda and Andy two decades later.

The Media Industry Storyline: The film’s central conflict — the corporate destruction of journalism and print media — reflects a very real crisis that millions of Americans have witnessed firsthand. The layoff-by-text scene struck a nerve because it reflects something that has actually happened to countless journalists and media workers across the country.

The Female-Led Power: In a blockbuster landscape dominated by superhero sequels and franchise IP, The Devil Wears Prada 2 stands out as a female-led, dialogue-driven drama that trusts its audience to engage with character and story without the need for explosions or special effects.

Meryl Streep: Simply put, Meryl Streep is one of the most compelling screen presences in the history of American cinema. Audiences will show up simply to watch her work.

How to Watch The Devil Wears Prada 2

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is currently playing exclusively in theaters across the United States. It was released on May 1, 2026, and is distributed by 20th Century Studios — a division of Disney.

You can purchase tickets through:

Fandango
AMC Theatres
Regal Cinemas
Cinemark
Your local theater’s website or app

If you want to experience the film’s extraordinary fashion sequences and the sheer presence of Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, seeing it on the biggest screen available is strongly recommended.

Final Verdict: Should You Watch The Devil Wears Prada 2?

Absolutely — and especially if you loved the first film. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is exactly what a great sequel should be: a film that respects and honors what made the original special while finding genuinely new and relevant territory to explore.

Meryl Streep gives what may be the finest performance of her extraordinary career in a role she created twenty years ago. Anne Hathaway matches her beat for beat. Emily Blunt is a revelation as the reinvented Emily. And the film’s surprisingly sharp observations about the death of serious journalism and the corporate destruction of creative industries give it emotional and intellectual weight that elevates it far beyond simple nostalgia.

It is not a perfect film — but then neither was the original, and that didn’t stop it from becoming a cultural touchstone that millions of people have watched dozens of times. The Devil Wears Prada 2 has every chance to earn the same place in American pop culture.