The early 2000s movie hits are making a comeback, and with them comes sequels! While I love that these iconic movies are becoming popular again, I can’t say the same for some of the sequels/remakes that have recently made their way onto the screen, which is why I had the lowest expectations for The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026). However, If you are feeling this way, I suggest you give it a chance because it has become one of my favorite sequels! I know, I was surprised as well.
While The Devil Wears Prada (2006) focuses on mainly high fashion and the struggles of a work environment, The Devil Wears Prada 2 focuses on the decline of journalism. As a writer, I’m glad that this movie brought up the importance of this topic because it should be discussed more!
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
The film starts off with a pretty realistic scenario for a journalist – getting fired by text. As Daisy Jones from Vogue Australia tells us in her latest article, “lay-offs have been a depressingly familiar aspect” in journalism, and this is seen in the film. It’s unfortunate that journalists have to live in fear of losing their job because of the decline of their industry. Anne Hathaway’s character, Andrea Sachs, proceeds to express the importance of journalism above money. This speech attests to the change in journalism since 2006. It’s no longer what it was, and it’s time to bring light to the reality and gravity of this situation.
Since the era of glamorization of being a journalist in the early 2000s, the industry has taken a new frontier: the rise of the media. We see in The Devil Wears Prada 2 that the magazines aren’t even printed now – everything is digital. Even with articles being digital, media users often prefer to watch short-form content videos than read an article. This is also highlighted in the film when Andy’s articles are doing well but are only being read by critics and not the actual audience they are meant for. This is in stark contrast to the viral AI memes on social media, like the one about Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), that everyone was sharing and liking. With the inclusion of both of these medias in the film, it’s evident that there is a decline of one.
In The Devil Wears Prada 2, we also see the entrance of the “finance bros.” For those who haven’t heard the term, it’s a stereotype of men who work in high-stakes finance, who mainly care about money. In the film, they become the owners of Runway, and they plan to get rid of staff, cut department budgets, and ultimately take apart the magazine. This is a call back to the scene in which Andy loses her job, highlighting the fact that the art of journalism has become tainted by the desire of money. Money drives people away from passion. It’s clearly represented in the movie in the way that all these finance people do not care about Runway. After all, we saw how easily they sold it at the first offer.
There were many people saying that Miranda had gone soft for the second film, but is it really softness or just acceptance? She has been editor-in-chief for decades at Runway, curating her craft and doing what she’s good at. All of sudden, it is turned upside down by the rise of social media such as TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, AI, and influencers who tell us what to do and think for a living. We rely on these platforms and forget the artistry that is literacy. Miranda Priestly is simply accepting her fate – compared to Andy who is all in to fight for what she loves: journalism.
I loved that the film didn’t try to retell the story we saw in the first but instead focused on current issues. It’s refreshing to bring awareness to what is happening with so many mediums of art. I hope that this film influences everyone to start reading articles and maybe go to a bookstore to pick a book to read!