By Shauna Hyland
Friday, May 1 marks the theatrical release of the long-awaited sequel to iconic 2006 film “The Devil Wears Prada”.
What was the first film about?
“The Devil Wears Prada” starred Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs, a recent college graduate in her 20s, who had just moved to New York to pursue writing.
She ends up working as an assistant for a well-known editor-in-chief of a major fashion magazine Runway.
The editor-in-chief is Miranda Priestley (Meryl Streep) who is known for her difficult nature, firing her two previous assistants prior to Andy.
The film follows Andy as she struggles to balance the demands Miranda expects of her alongside her personal life, having her question whether she truly wants it enough.
Other memorable characters are Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt), who used to be Miranda’s assistant but was promoted, and Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci), who was one of Runway magazine’s leading fashion authorities.
The 2006 hit was directed by David Frenkel and the screenplay written by Aline Brosh McKenna, both of whom are returning to their respective roles for the sequel.
What is the new film about?
According to the film synopsis, “Miranda Priestly struggles against Emily Charlton, her former assistant turned rival executive, as they compete for advertising revenue amid declining print media, while Miranda nears retirement”.
The film is said to follow a more confident Andy, who Miranda doesn’t remember, more comfortable in her career and ready to help Miranda.
Fans are clearly excited about the return of the beloved franchise, as the teaser generated 181,5 million views in its first 24 hours online.
The sequel has a runtime of 1 hour and 59 minutes, longer than the original film which was 1 hour and 49 minutes.
Who is returning?
As previously mentioned, both the director and writer from the original 2006 film are returning to their roles, but they’re not the only ones.
Much to fans’ delight, the film features stars such as Anne Hathaway (Andy Sachs), Meryl Streep (Miranda Priestley), Emily Blunt (Emily Charlton), Stanley Tucci (Nigel Kipling), Tracie Thomas (Lily Ravitz) and Tibor Feldman (Irv Ravitz) all reprising their roles.
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Who is new to the cast?
The cast has seen new additions such as Lady Gaga, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux and Kenneth Branagh.
Fans are particularly excited about the role of Kenneth Branagh as he takes on the role of Miranda Priestley’s partner, which she didn’t have in the first film.
Although the first film was produced by Wendy Finerman, she will not be returning for the sequel. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” was produced by Karen Rosenfelt.
It has also been revealed that Andy’s partner from the original film, Nate (played by Adrian Grenier), will not be returning.
As a matter of fact, Entertainment Weekly reported that Andy will have a new love interest played by Patrick Brammal.
As well as joining the cast, Lady Gaga will also produce a new original song for the film, alongside Doechii.
The Official Soundtrack also features songs from popular artists such as Dua Lipa, Olivia Dean, Raye, SZA and more.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is officially out in UK cinemas now.
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