The anticipation was palpable. Twenty years after captivating audiences, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway were poised to revisit the world ofThe Devil Wears Prada. But for director David Frankel, the return wasn’t a simple case of rekindling magic; it was a daunting challenge, steeped in the anxieties of recreating lightning in a bottle.
The original film, now a cornerstone of modern pop culture, hadn’t been an easy win. Frankel recalls a greenlit project with a surprisingly tight budget, and a terrifying directive: don’t even *mention* Paris, despite twenty crucial minutes needing to be set there. It was a chaotic start, a scramble to solve an impossible puzzle before filming even began.
The success of the first film – a staggering $326 million return on a $35 million investment – only amplified the pressure. A sequel wasn’t actively sought; Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna genuinely questioned if they could recapture the original’s unique alchemy. “So many things have to go right, so much luck has to happen,” Frankel reflects. “It’s like somebody making a hole in one.”
The landscape surroundingRunwaymagazine, Miranda Priestly’s former domain, had dramatically shifted. The media world had undergone a seismic transformation. Frankel and McKenna knew any return had to address these changes, and more importantly, ask equally compelling questions about life, ambition, and compromise.
The first hurdle involved the film’s setting. Unlike the initial production, logic prevailed this time, allowing the cast to travel to Milan for key scenes. But even with that victory, new challenges emerged – securing a cameo from Lady Gaga, a request woven directly into the screenplay. The studio’s approach was refreshingly supportive: “Let us help you make that happen.”
Frankel candidly admits the first film was a struggle, a whirlwind of long hours and personal challenges for the cast. Meryl Streep maintained a professional distance, and both Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt were navigating personal difficulties. “We failed miserably in many, many ways,” he confesses, “it was just a really hard shoot.”
The sequel, however, was a different experience entirely. “This was joyful every minute,” Frankel says, describing a collaborative energy fueled by four seasoned actors at the peak of their craft. The chemistry, honed over two decades, had “ripened in a fantastic way.”
The new film doesn’t shy away from examining the legacy of Miranda Priestly, exploring the complexities of power and the question of when to step away. A new character, Amari, played by Simone Ashley, is introduced as a kind of “ombudswoman,” tasked with mitigating Miranda’s more… forceful tendencies.
The sequel also tackles evolving workplace standards, reflected in the dynamic between Andy and her new assistant, Jin Chao. This generation, Frankel observes, has a different expectation of work-life balance, a shift foreshadowed by Andy’s defiant act of tossing her phone into a fountain in the original film.
Perhaps the most surprising revelation is the reaction to Andy’s former boyfriend, Nate. Frankel was genuinely shocked by the intense backlash against the character, a sentiment that heavily influenced the portrayal of Andy’s new love interest, Peter, a supportive and understanding partner.
The film’s success hinges, of course, on Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Miranda Priestly. Frankel is hopeful she’ll receive another Oscar nomination, acknowledging the Academy’s tendency to overlook comedies. But even if the accolades don’t come, he believes Streep delivers a truly memorable performance, imbued with a subtle nuance that elevates the character to new heights.
AsThe Devil Wears Prada 2arrives in cinemas, Frankel admits to feeling the weight of expectation. He hopes the sequel will resonate with audiences, even half as powerfully as the original. After all, in the unpredictable world of filmmaking, “nobody knows anything,” and sometimes, all you can do is hope for a little magic.
