To the pleasant surprise of many, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is being praised by early viewers as “charming” and “delightful.”
The highly anticipated sequel to the beloved 2006 classic was screened by several members of the press Monday night, days before its official debut in theaters May 1.
Featuring the return of the original main cast — including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci — the sequel follows diabolical fashion editor Miranda Priestley (Streep) as she clashes with her former assistant-turned-rival executive Emily Charlton (Blunt) over limited advertising dollars in the declining world of print journalism. Hathaway reprises her role as Andy Sachs, Miranda’s former assistant, while Tucci returns as Miranda’s right-hand man, Nigel Kipling.
Especially in an era of unnecessary revivals and reboots, there has been concern that The Devil Wears Prada 2 might fall into the same trap as other long-delayed sequels, such as the follow up to the 2003 film Freaky Friday, 2025’s Freakier Friday, which The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey described as “unfunny nostalgia” in a two-star review.
However, early social media reactions have suggested otherwise, with several film critics applauding its “delightful” cast and the timeliness of its “exploration of modern media.”
“THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 is, surprisingly, quite charming and fun, despite that awful trailer!” declared Yahoo Entertainment’s chief film critic Brett Arnold on X, predicting the movie “will be a massive hit.”
Actor and producer Alex Hammerli echoed the sentiment, calling it “beyond amazing. It’s very good. Like holy s*** we are so back.”
Calling it “a legacy sequel that not only sees the characters grow, but also reflects how the world has changed,” WatchMojo writer Nick Spake said: “It’s a surprisingly timely exploration of modern media, how we consume it, and how even icons work harder than ever to remain visible in this landscape.”
“#TheDevilWearsPrada2 is more slice of life than slice of cake & that’s both good and bad,” Critics’ Choice member Grace Randolf opined. “The characters though are as delightful as ever!”
“THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 has the same structure as the first, but the heavy focus on the difficulties of producing print journalism in the 2020s is a welcome surprise (as are the many gasp-worthy cameos),” Next Best Picture’s Dan Bayer wrote. While he said it is “not a classic like the first,” Bayer noted that “the cast is so good that it’s still fun.”
“It may not aim for high art,” Next Best Picture’s Editor-in-Chief Matt Neglia added, “but you can feel the passion from everyone shining through all the glitz and glamor, making for a comforting and entertaining watch.”
Freelance entertainment reporter Jonathan Sim similarly described the sequel as “an acceptable, notable step down from the original.” He added that “the story lacks the pained, human relatability of the OG. More tedious and far less interesting.” Nevertheless, he wrote, “It’s AMAZING to see Hathaway, Streep, Blunt, & Tucci back as these characters. They’re fun.”
The Devil Wears Prada 2 premieres in theaters May 1.
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