Lucky 13 Review
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2
Directed by
David Frankel
2026 Movie REVIEW
The Ultimate Luxury Comfort Movie: The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a Triumph of Fan Fulfillment
★★★☆☆
Stats
Release Date
May 1, 2026
Tomatometer
84%
Letterboxd Score
3.8 / 5
Running Time
118 Mins
Official Synopsis
Andy Sachs reunites with Miranda Priestly as they navigate their careers amid the rapid decline of traditional print magazine publishing. As Runway Magazine faces impending financial ruin, Miranda is forced to confront her former assistant, who is now a high powered executive at a major luxury fashion conglomerate holding the purse strings to the magazine's future survival.
Ensemble
- Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly
- Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs
- Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton
- Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling
- Kenneth Branagh as Stuart Simmons
- Lucy Liu as Sasha Barnes
- Simone Ashley as Amari Mari
- Justin Theroux as Benji Barnes
Architects
Director: David Frankel
Screenplay: Lauren Weisberger, Aline Brosh McKenna
Based on Characters Created By: Lauren Weisberger
Lead Producers: Wendy Finerman, Karen Rosenfelt
Executive Producer: Aline Brosh McKenna, Michael Bederman
Director of Photography: Florian Ballhaus
Costume Designer: Patricia Field
Production Vault
MPA Rating: PG-13 for strong language and some suggestive references
Estimated Budget: $100 Million
Filming Locations: Manhattan (New York City), Milan (Italy), and Newark (New Jersey)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Anamorphic
Behind the Lens Spotlight
To accurately match the cold elegance of the 2006 cinematic landmark, cinematographer Florian Ballhaus returned alongside costuming pioneer Patricia Field. The team chose to blend modern digital capture methods with vintage anamorphic lenses, evoking an underlying sense of corporate isolation within the glossy skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan.
Production Info
Development officially commenced in July 2024 under Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Studios. Principal photography ran from June to October 2025, carefully tracking the real schedule of modern international fashion weeks to capture actual industry backgrounds.
The Official Trailer
Ray's Review
The Devil Wears Prada 2 arrives with the unmistakable weight and polish of a massive, old-fashioned studio production. It is a project seemingly conjured from the sheer wish fulfillment of a dedicated fanbase, presenting a practical box-office certainty fueled entirely by the enduring popularity of its core ensemble and fond memories of the 2006 original. The only notable drawback to this grand reunion is the two-decade gap between chapters. Casual viewers may struggle to pick up on some of the narrative’s specific callbacks; fortunately, the film compensates for this by leaning heavily on the effortless chemistry of its original cast. The central actors slip right back into their respective roles and office dynamics, immediately evoking the charm that made the first story so enjoyable.
While it is easy to wonder why a sequel took twenty years to materialize, the cast will naturally argue that they were protective of the franchise and simply waiting for a narrative strong enough to justify a return. The cynic in me might suspect that the financial incentives were finally right, but putting logistics aside, the story itself steps into a drastically altered real-world media climate. We are dropped into a hyper-digital era where traditional print magazines are practically non-existent, corporate media restructuring dominates the landscape, and capitalist downsizing continually squeezes art for profit. In a sense, this cultural shift provides the perfect thematic justification to get the old team back together, allowing the film to tackle the complexities of navigating fashion in a social-media-driven society. On a more superficial level, however, the film acts as an excuse to watch Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci share the screen once more, and they all seem to be having an absolute blast performing.
True to the tradition of the franchise, The Devil Wears Prada 2 looks like a million bucks. The production design, international locales, exquisite costuming, and aesthetic styling are visually magnificent from start to finish. Structurally, the main plot moves along as an easy, breezy experience. It is rarely hard-hitting and avoids any heavy, over-wrought drama, but that lack of friction is precisely what draws the audience to this specific brand of filmmaking. This is an unadulterated comfort movie. It is the exact type of film fans can throw on at any moment, guaranteed to elicit a smile as it plays in the background. Anne Hathaway remains as radiantly charming as ever, while Meryl Streep brings a wickedly fun energy to the titular Miranda Priestly. Flanking them, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci act as the essential connective tissue that locks the core foursome together. The newcomers integrate smoothly into this world as well: Justin Theroux is highly entertaining as the bubbly Benji, Simone Ashley is delightful as the ambitious new assistant Amari, and Broadway’s Helen J. Shen turns in an affable performance as Andy’s direct subordinate.
Whether The Devil Wears Prada 2 is deemed a great piece of cinema depends largely on audience expectations. While it might not be explicitly targeted toward my demographic, leaning heavily instead toward a mainstream audience, it is a pleasant watch that never turns into a painful experience for a lady’s plus-one. There are plenty of genuinely entertaining moments scattered throughout the runtime. More importantly, a surprising amount of poignancy emerges from its core theme: a story about creative gatekeepers fiercely trying to protect beauty, style, and genuine art from the crushing gears of massive capitalist corporations. It is a timely message that deserves to be highlighted, and even though it comes wrapped in a light, frivolous, and fashionable package, the message ultimately lands with satisfying precision.
Final Verdict
The Devil Wears Prada 2 wraps a sharp, modern message about corporate capitalism inside a impeccably styled, delightfully nostalgic comfort film, proving that the legendary chemistry of its core ensemble is permanently in fashion.
★★★☆☆
LUCKY 13 SCORE: 3.0 / 5Fun Facts
- The production budget was set at a massive one hundred million dollars, which effectively tripled the cost of the original movie before adjusting for inflation.
- Original star Adrian Grenier does not reprise his role as Nate, allowing the screenplay to focus exclusively on Andy's professional corporate evolution.
- A brief cameo appearance filmed by prominent actress Sydney Sweeney was reportedly removed during late stage editorial adjustments to preserve the narrative pacing.
- The screenplay directly incorporates high fashion industry icons with brief appearance cameos from Naomi Campbell, Donatella Versace, and designer Marc Jacobs.
