I’m Worried All the Stars in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Might Ruin the Sequel

For many people, The Devil Wears Prada has been the nostalgic rewatch for the 19 years it’s been out, the film that stops your entire afternoon if you come across it while channel-surfing (or the 2025 version of that, that stops you from scrolling when the clips hit your FYP). It’s got just the right amount of comedy, drama, romance, expected and unexpected villains and an all-time great makeover montage, makes it the perfect go-to for pretty much any mood you’re in.

After years of speculation about whether a sequel could be in the works (and fan debates about whether one was even needed), it was announced back in July 2024 that the dynamic trio that is Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway will be back and reprising their roles as Miranda Priestly, Emily Charlton and Andy Sachs. Stanley Tucci was also confirmed to be returning for part two.

Personally, I was thrilled because — though I don’t fully support iterating on a true classic — the fact that the OG cast is back made it palatable. What I really would have hated would have been to see some other prequel of the film, with Andy Sachs — played by someone else — during her days at Northwestern or something. (Yes, I’m looking at you,The Carrie Diaries!)

With the original cast intact, we were at least guaranteed some of the unmatched chemistry from the first film. (And Patricia Field, please say you’ll be back to recreate the unparalleled office attire too!)

So I was feeling pretty good about what was to come … until today’s announcement that more stars will be added to the cast. In addition to Tucci, Tracie Thomas, who played Andy’s friend Lily, and Tibor Feldman, who played the chairman of Ellias-Clark, Runway’s parent company, will also be returning.

But that’s not all, The Devil Wears Prada 2 will also be adding Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak and Simone Ashley. And while I do not doubt that these powerhouse actors will bring it, my worry is that that much star power might ruin the film. 

Part of what made the original movie so special was the just-right mix of high-wattage stars and up-and-coming actresses holding their own on screen. Meryl Streep was the OG, with a career that spanned three decades at that point. And while Anne Hathaway had the Princess Diaries and works such as Ella Enchanted and Brokeback Mountain and on her resume, she was still firmly in her ingenue phase.

This was also long before Emily Blunt was a household name, so the sass and high-strung nature of her character felt fresh. Peppered in were the talents of Tucci, Simon Baker and Adrian Grenier, who were established enough in their careers to carry a scene, but weren’t major distractions when they came on the screen. 

Their roles were also just enough that when the story wrapped up, we weren’t left wanting more. All the characters felt well-written and complete. And I might be too invested in this journey, but I just don’t see a world in which we add someone as attention-grabbing as Lucy Liu or Justin Theroux and then relegate them to a secondary character who pops in and out to just push the plot along.

B.J. Novak and Pauline Chalamet are also two very recognizable actors. Between his role as Ryan in The Office and her stint as Kimberly in Sex Lives of College Girls, the minute they show up on the screen, my expectations are high. 

If, however, the writers do end up giving each actor their due screen time, I worry that the story might suffer. With the focus on Andy and Miranda, there was ample room to flesh out the fictitious fashion world and the relationships all the characters had within it. So that even when Giselle Bündchen randomly popped up for a total of 2.5 seconds, I was still able to get back into the story and follow along.

I just don’t see how the goddess that is Simone Ashley can show up on my screen and I don’t want 30 minutes of whatever her character is. (You hear that, F1?)

As of right now, it’s not yet clear what roles any of the new cast members will occupy. What we know so far is that the sequel follows Priestly “as she navigates her career amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing and as she faces off against Blunt’s character, now a high-powered executive for a luxury group with advertising dollars that Priestly desperately needs,” per Variety.

And since the original movie was based on a novel of the same name, it’s possible the second film will also incorporate plot points of the book sequel, Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns. The novel takes place nearly a decade after the original and sees Andy and Emily come together as top magazine editors, while Miranda reappears in Andy’s life with a tempting offer.

What gives me hope is that The Devil Wears Prada 2 remains in the hands of the original creators as well. Wendy Finerman, who produced The Devil Wears Prada, signed on for the film alongside the original director, David Frankel and Aline Brosh McKenna, the same writer who wrote the 2006 film, is also confirmed to be returning.

So, let’s all hold hands, gird our loins and brace ourselves, because for better or for worse, I plan to be at the theaters to watch The Devil Wears Prada 2, come May 21, 2026.