Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (2006) | Image: Screengrab from YouTube/Movieclips
“Don’t be silly; everyone wants this!” goes the line in “The Devil Wears Prada.”
After 18 years, the sequel to the commercial hit is now in the early stages of development at Disney, with Meryl Streep reportedly in talks to return to reprise her role as THE Miranda Priestly.
US media reports quoted the original film’s writer, Aline Brosh McKenna, as saying that she is in the process of doing a follow-up to the 2006 comedy-drama which originally starred Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt.
Although the three A-list stars have not officially confirmed their return, their recent reunion at the SAG Awards and the reported plot of the second movie teased that the iconic cast might soon reunite for a reboot.
In February, the three women delighted the fans after reuniting on stage at the SAG Awards to present best actor in a comedy series. Streep first appeared on stage and said that she had forgotten her glasses. Hathaway and Blunt appeared to give the veteran actress her missing item, paying homage to their roles as assistants to Miranda Priestly (Streep).
This was preceded by Hathaway and Blunt’s reunion in December 2023 when they presented the Oscar for costume design. Blunt said: “There is no one in this room more qualified than the two of us, or just me,” prompting the audience to cackle at the reference to their “Devil Wears Prada” characters.
“Leave the character behind, Em,” said Hathaway. The camera then panned to Streep who was seated at a table, laughing at their skit. “I love you,” the two actresses nervously said, in unison.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series, they reflected on how the blockbuster film changed their lives and careers.
“We just had a joy bomb of a time watching that movie. I don’t know if any of us knew it was going to become what it did. It’s quoted to me every week. It will be the movie that changed my life,” said Blunt at the time.
A sequel to ‘THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA’ is in the works with Meryl Streep set to return as Miranda Priestly.
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— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 8, 2024
However, in April 2024, Hathaway shared that while it is tempting to make a sequel, it would be “difficult” to do given the decline of print media.
“I just think that movie was in a different era. Now, everything has gone digital, and that movie centered around the concept of producing a physical thing. It’s just very different now,” she said at the time.
“It’s tempting, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. They could relaunch it, find some new people, and do it,” added the Hollywood actress.
The first movie is based on Lauren Weisberger’s novel of the same title that followed Andy Sachs’ (Hathaway) introduction to the fashion world working as assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep), head of the New York City-based Runway magazine.
The sequel reportedly takes off from Miranda and her magazine’s financial struggles given the decline of traditional publishing. Amid her diminished state, she faces a showdown with her former assistant, Emily (Blunt), who is now a major executive at an advertising conglomerate.
Meanwhile, a musical version of “The Devil Wears Prada,” featuring Vanessa Williams in the lead, will debut on London’s West End in October.