Justin Theroux Devil Wears Prada 2 has been generating significant buzz as Justin Theroux shares details about his unconventional character in the long-awaited sequel, which recently completed filming and is expected to feature a notable reunion of its original stars alongside a roster of newcomers. The production brings together well-known names such as Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt, while introducing fresh faces including Lucy Liu, Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, BJ Novak, Pauline Chalamet, Sydney Sweeney, and Lady Gaga, with a planned release on May 1, 2026.
The sequel offers fans another glimpse into the world that captivated audiences in 2006, exploring the continued dynamics between fashion power players and the new additions set to shake up the narrative. The anticipation is heightened by insights from both longstanding and new cast members, as well as a look back at memorable stories from the creation of the original film.
Justin Theroux’s Return and Star-Studded Cast in the Sequel
Justin Theroux, known for his roles in productions such as The Leftovers and Mulholland Drive, recently discussed his character in The Devil Wears Prada 2. Describing his role as energetic and somewhat reckless, he joined the sequel for what he called a thrilling experience. Theroux is reunited onscreen with Emily Blunt, his previous co-star from The Girl on the Train, as well as series regulars Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep who reprise their portrayals of Andy Sachs and Miranda Priestley. Filming wrapped up in September, marking a significant milestone for the project.
Theroux spoke on working with Meryl Streep, stating,
“I’ve obviously watched her my entire life,”
and,
“so to all of a sudden, be performing with her is such a pleasure and an honor.”
– Justin Theroux, Actor
The promotional campaign kicked off with a teaser trailer released two weeks prior to Theroux’s interview publication. Franchise newcomers were announced, expanding the star power of the cast.
A Noteworthy Reunion for the Cast
Production of the new film facilitated a heartfelt reunion for the original cast. Emily Blunt shared her perspective on returning to the set and rekindling connections with fellow actors, revealing:
“We’ve known each other for so long,”
and,
“I feel like Meryl birthed me into this industry. It was so cool to reunite with everybody.”
– Emily Blunt, Actress
The reunion did not go unnoticed by fans, who caught glimpses of filming during the summer and expressed excitement at the cast coming together once again. At various public events, Blunt reflected on the experience by saying,
“We feel a little bit like zoo exhibits,”
and,
“But that’s OK. People are excited.”
– Emily Blunt, Actress
Original Film’s Unexpected Journey from Book to Screen
The first Devil Wears Prada film was actually in the works before Lauren Weisberger’s debut novel had even been fully published. Studio executives at Fox 2000 were compelled by the initial manuscript, as shared by Carla Hacken, former executive vice president, who recounted,
“I was the first person to read it at Fox 2000,”
and,
“I thought Miranda Priestly was one of the greatest villains ever. I remember we aggressively went in and scooped it up.”
– Carla Hacken, Studio Executive
Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna was eventually tasked with delivering a script that turned the spotlight on the professional sacrifices women often make to thrive in the competitive world of fashion magazines. As McKenna discussed her writing process:
“I wrote a draft pretty quickly—it took me about a month,”
and,
“Then I rewrote it based on everybody’s notes.”
– Aline Brosh McKenna, Screenwriter
Protective Industry Culture Created Production Roadblocks
The fashion world’s insular nature posed a challenge during research and production for the original movie. Many figures in the industry were unwilling to offer insights, fearing repercussions from Anna Wintour and the publication Vogue. McKenna described this difficulty:
“I had enormous trouble finding anyone in the fashion world who’d talk to me, because people were afraid of Anna and Vogue, not wanting to be blackballed,”
– Aline Brosh McKenna, Screenwriter. She revealed that one source gave candid feedback, prompting adjustments to character portrayals:
“There was one person who spoke to me, whose name I will never divulge, who read it and said, ‘The people in this movie are too nice. No one in that world is too nice. They don’t have to be, and they don’t have time to be.’ After that, I did a pass to make everyone a bit busier and meaner.”
– Aline Brosh McKenna, Screenwriter
Director David Frankel faced similar obstacles in securing high-profile locations. As he explained,
“The Met Ball meant that the Metropolitan Museum wanted nothing to do with us,”
– David Frankel, Director. Even iconic apartment buildings were out of reach, forcing the team to use an Upper East Side townhouse acquired through a producer’s connection:
“Even these iconic apartment buildings we saw as possibilities for Miranda’s apartment, the co-op boards wouldn’t let us in,”
– David Frankel, Director
Impressively Authentic Set Design
Despite industry resistance, the film received praise for its authentic representation of environments. Production designer Jess Gonchor’s ingenuity played a pivotal role. Frankel recalled:
“The only contact we had with Vogue was Jess Gonchor, the production designer, who snuck into their offices to get a look at Anna’s office,”
and added,
“He was able to re-create the office so authentically that I was told Anna redecorated hers immediately after the movie came out.”
– David Frankel, Director
Wardrobe Challenges and Creative Costume Solutions
The film’s wardrobe became another hurdle, with many designers initially refusing to lend their collections. Fear of upsetting Anna Wintour was a pressing concern, as recounted by Frankel:
“They just didn’t want to incur the wrath of Anna.”
– David Frankel, Director
Legendary costumer Patricia Field overcame these barriers, securing around 150 pieces from designers like Donna Karan, Zac Posen, Rick Owens, and Prada. Meryl Streep highlighted the precautions taken for the valuable clothing:
“She borrowed everything; we had to be very careful not to eat spaghetti at lunch,”
– Meryl Streep, Actress,
“because it’d go down the front and they couldn’t return it!”
– Meryl Streep, Actress
Anna Wintour’s Response to Her Fictional Counterpart
Anna Wintour showed some humor about the film’s depiction of her, as evidenced by her interaction with Meryl Streep during Vogue’s anniversary issue. When asked about challenging roles Streep had played, Wintour jokingly steered the conversation away from Miranda Priestly.
Wintour attended a screening of the film alongside author Lauren Weisberger, later commenting,
“It was not a true rendition of what happens within this magazine.”
– Anna Wintour, Vogue Editor-in-Chief
An Unmistakable Choice for Miranda Priestly
Meryl Streep was the exclusive candidate considered for the role of Miranda. Studio executive Carla Hacken remembered,
“I don’t remember anything other than, ‘Please God—let it be Meryl,’”
and, regarding her reaction to Streep’s interest,
“I was shouting in my office.”
– Carla Hacken, Studio Executive
Streep appreciated depicting Miranda with complexity and an absence of attempts to soften her character:
“I liked that there wasn’t any backing away from the horrible parts of her, and the real scary parts of her had to do with the fact that she didn’t try to ingratiate, which is always the female emollient in any situation where you want your way—what my friend Carrie Fisher used to call ‘the squeezy and tilty’ of it all. [Miranda] didn’t do any of that.”
– Meryl Streep, Actress
Negotiations, Demands, and Iconic Scenes
Despite her celebrated status, Streep initially found the compensation offer unsatisfactory and insisted on a higher salary. She explained her stance:
“The offer was, to my mind slightly, if not insulting, not perhaps reflective of my actual value to the project,”
and recounted,
“There was my ‘goodbye moment,’ and then they doubled the offer. I was 55, and I had just learned, at a very late date, how to deal on my own behalf.”
– Meryl Streep, Actress
Streep also demanded important scenes that would showcase Miranda’s expertise and vulnerability, particularly a formative exchange about fashion’s business side and an unguarded moment in a hotel room. Details around Miranda’s physical look were also her idea, including her striking white hair. Frankel described how this commitment influenced production:
“Meryl channeled Miranda in that meeting, and there was no conversation about the hair; they looked into Meryl’s eyes and never said a word.”
– David Frankel, Director
Anne Hathaway’s Determination to Land the Role of Andy Sachs
Anne Hathaway faced significant competition for her role as Andy, with the actress once revealing:
“I was the ninth choice for Devil Wears Prada.”
– Anne Hathaway, Actress
Hathaway did not have to audition but mounted an enthusiastic campaign for the part, even going so far as to leave messages for executives in creative places. She remembered her reaction upon finally being chosen:
“I remember running out in my living room, half dressed, screaming—’I got The Devil Wears Prada! I got The Devil Wears Prada!’”
– Anne Hathaway, Actress
Other Casting Considerations and Changes
Rachel McAdams was the studio’s preferred choice, but declined the part multiple times. As David Frankel recalled:
“We offered it to Rachel McAdams three times,”
and also shared,
“The studio was determined to have her, and she was determined not to do it.”
– David Frankel, Director
Kate Hudson also declined due to scheduling issues, later expressing regret:
“it was one of those things where I couldn’t do it, and I should’ve made it happen, and I didn’t. That was one where when I saw it I was like, ‘Ugh.’”
– Kate Hudson, Actress
Meryl Streep’s endorsement, following her view of Hathaway’s role in Brokeback Mountain, ultimately helped solidify the casting:
“Meryl watched that scene from the movie,”
and,
“she met with her and called up Tom Rothman at Fox and said, ‘Yeah, this girl’s great, and I think we’ll work well together.’”
– David Frankel, Director
Emily Blunt’s Serendipitous Path to Her Role
The casting of Emily Blunt came after over one hundred auditions for the demanding role of Miranda’s assistant. While on the lot for another audition, Blunt was invited to read for the part, but was pressed for time and less than confident. She recounted,
“But I was rushing for the airport, and I remember just being kind of flustered,”
and remembered her attire was not in line with the character:
“So I read it, but I was wearing sweatpants, and I did not look the part at all.”
– Emily Blunt, Actress
Later, while out in London, she received a callback and was asked to present herself in character more authentically:
“I was in some dive club in London,”
and,
“I called him back from the bathroom. He said, ‘Listen I would have cast you off the tape, but the studio wants to see you one more time. Can you do what you did but dress the part more?’”
– Emily Blunt, Actress
The Impact of Blunt’s Real-Life Traits on the Script
Blunt’s British accent and sharp delivery led screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna to rewrite the character’s lines to suit her natural wit:
“we went to a coffee shop, went through the script, and peppered it with Britishisms,”
– Aline Brosh McKenna, Screenwriter
Blunt also adapted real-world experiences for her character, such as a memorable supermarket encounter:
“I guess I steal from people I meet,”
and further explained,
“Like, I saw a mother speaking to her child in a supermarket when we were shooting that film. And it’s a line that gets quoted back to me now. She yelled at her kid and she kind of opened and closed her hand and she goes, ‘Yeah, I’m hearing this, and I want to hear this.’ I went and put it in the movie.”
– Emily Blunt, Actress
Stanley Tucci’s Influence and Improvisation
After a prolonged search for the actor to play Runway art director Nigel, Stanley Tucci joined late into casting. He delivered some of the film’s most memorable humor, improvising lines that have become iconic. Tucci reflected:
“I love the scene when Miranda is first coming up to the office and everyone sort of panics,”
– Stanley Tucci, Actor. Director David Frankel supplied alternate lines during filming, leading to one line’s fame:
“We all kept laughing so hard, and David kept throwing out lines for me to say and ‘Gird your loins’ was the one that made it in.”
– Stanley Tucci, Actor. Among outtakes was,
“’Tits in!’ That was one I made up, but every time we laughed.”
– Stanley Tucci, Actor
Unexpected Bonds and Personal Stories
Tucci’s experience with the production led to lasting personal relationships. His friendship with Emily Blunt extended to her wedding, where he met Felicity Blunt, who would later become his wife. At the time, Tucci was married to Kate Tucci, who was undergoing cancer treatments. He recounted,
“So I did the movie, and she started treatments, and then we had the premiere, and then she was alive for four more years after that,”
and,
“And, actually, Felicity—Emily’s sister, my wife—she and Kate talked at the premiere that night and I have a photo of them together, which is so odd.”
– Stanley Tucci, Actor
Tracie Thoms’ Experience Playing Lily
Tracie Thoms remembered the excitement of learning she was cast as Lily, receiving the news on her thirtieth birthday during a play workshop. She recalled,
“At that point in my career, I had kind of slipped into this best friend space. So I was like, ‘Oh, Lily’s easy. That’s right in my wheelhouse’”
– Tracie Thoms, Actress. Thoms was thrilled by the personal milestone:
“I was in Dartmouth doing a workshop of a new play by Alan Ball,”
and,
“It was like, ‘Hey, so you booked Devil Wears Prada. Happy birthday!’”
and,
“It was a good birthday memory.”
– Tracie Thoms, Actress
Adrian Grenier’s Unique Approach to Fame
Thoms also noted Adrian Grenier’s approach to attention from fans, as he promoted his band while interacting with supporters. She shared,
“He was using that opportunity to promote his band members, because he was not the frontman of the band,”
and,
“I thought that was really great how he dealt with everybody very specifically and appreciated their support, and tried to ricochet that support onto his colleagues.”
– Tracie Thoms, Actress
The Marc Jacobs Purse and On-Set Reactions
One prop from the film, a Marc Jacobs purse, became a highlight for Thoms. She described her efforts to make her on-screen reaction authentic:
“I asked the prop department to not show me the purse before we were rolling, because I wanted the reaction to be genuine,”
and continued,
“That, like, gasping and grabbing and ‘Gimme, gimme!’, that happened because that purse was gorgeous.”
– Tracie Thoms, Actress
She thought up a way to keep the purse as a souvenir but never got the opportunity:
“I had a whole plot in my brain on how to keep the purse,”
– Tracie Thoms, Actress, and reflected,
“And then the scene where I was going to somehow forget to leave the purse in my trailer, that scene got cut. So I never went back to work to get the purse. It was very sad.”
– Tracie Thoms, Actress
Behind the Scenes: Scenes Shot Abroad and Method Acting Challenges
The film’s closing scenes set in Paris were not initially planned. Frankel persuaded the studio to allocate funds for overseas filming after impressing executives, sending Anne Hathaway and Simon Baker to France while Meryl Streep’s scenes were completed in New York.
Streep’s immersion in her character led her to distance herself from co-stars, later describing the experience:
“I could hear them all rocking and laughing. I was so depressed! I said, ‘Well, it’s the price you pay for being boss!’ That’s the last time I ever attempted a Method thing!”
– Meryl Streep, Actress
Still, before stepping fully into her Miranda persona, Streep offered encouragement to Anne Hathaway:
“’I want you to know I think you’re going to be great, and I’m so happy to work with you…and that’s the last nice thing I’m going to say to you.’”
– Anne Hathaway, Actress
The Anticipated Return: Looking Ahead to the Sequel
With the original cast’s legacy firmly established, the May 2026 release of The Devil Wears Prada 2 marks a celebrated return to the high-pressure fashion world. Combining the allure of industry intrigue, comedic sharpness, and complex character arcs, the production sets the stage for intense audience engagement, promising to draw both longtime fans and newcomers back into the story of Miranda Priestley, Andy Sachs, and the latest faces in this powerful cinematic sequel.
