A sequel in 2026? Groundbreaking (in a good way)

“The Devil Wears Prada,” a fashion classic, was released in 2006. Now, 20 years later, the iconic cast of characters has returned for what has to be one of the best sequels I have ever seen.

Sequels tend to be hit or miss for me, with an emphasis on the miss. Even when I have the time of my life watching them, they almost always fail to meet the quality of the original. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is an exception to that.

The film brought back the four main cast members, Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci and the one-and-only Meryl Streep. How can you top that?

The sequel hit theaters May 1, so naturally, I had to go the night before (shoutout AMC A-list for the ticket). I had high expectations going in. When I got to the theater, I was greeted with two posters for the film at the entrance, as well as a limited-edition cherry lime Coke flavor to celebrate the movie. As a Diet Coke enthusiast, I was thrilled to see they had that as an option. The cherry lime Diet Coke really added to the cinematic experience.

From the very moment Hathaway’s Andy Sachs appeared on screen, I was hooked. Cinematically, the film was stunning. I also love watching anything Hathaway does, and this movie was no exception.

I did have to laugh at the blatantly obvious product placement: It seemed like every other scene featured an in-focus Diet Coke or Starbucks cup with a front-facing logo.

The original “The Devil Wears Prada” is iconic for its fabulous performances, impeccable one-liners, social commentary and, most of all, the breathtaking fashion. Somehow, the sequel elevates that fashion to a whole new level while also making commentary on the state of the modern journalism industry.

Andy, who was second assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep) in the first film, is now an award-winning journalist. However, as her name is called at an awards ceremony, she and her colleagues learn they have all lost their jobs due to cuts.

When accepting her award, Andy delivers a powerful speech about the importance of journalism today. The speech goes viral.

Meanwhile, over at Runway Magazine, Miranda is under fire for unknowingly collaborating with a fast fashion brand. This tarnishes the publication’s reputation, and they’re in desperate need of rebuilding credibility. The solution? Andy.

Andy, fresh out of a job, gets hired as a features editor at Runway, bringing her back to where it all began. When she first starts in the position, an advertising issue brings her and Miranda to Dior, where they encounter Emily (Blunt). Emily was Miranda’s first assistant while Andy was at Runway. Now, she’s head of Dior, and she believes luxury retail is the only branch of the fashion industry that isn’t on its deathbed.

Nigel (Tucci) still works at Runway, now as the deputy creative director under Miranda. The four of them returning felt almost like reuniting with old friends, picking up exactly where we left off — as if no time had passed.

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The sequel was able to transition seamlessly into the modern world without it becoming cheesy or tacky, while also making commentary on modern issues, the state of journalism today and more.

The film was stacked with an all-star new cast, featuring Helen J. Shen, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak and others, as well as some fabulous cameos. There was even a stunning musical performance from a real-life pop star and fashion icon, who, funnily enough, canonically does not get along with Miranda.

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” was everything I could’ve wanted out of a sequel and then some. Between the fantastic outfits, breathtaking performances, brilliant commentary and the mindblowing plot twist at the end, you don’t want to miss this film. I cannot wait to go see it again.

That’s all.

Rating: 9.5/10

powers40@miamioh.edu

Stella Powers is a junior journalism and media and communication major from Wooster, Ohio. Powers is the Culture Editor for The Student and Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Miami Student Magazine. Outside of TMS, she enjoys film, television and theater.