Emily Blunt has revealed that filming for The Devil Wears Prada sequel is scheduled to begin in July 2025, delivering a major update following the recent official announcement that the film will debut in May 2026. This news solidifies the return of the beloved franchise after two decades, making the Emily Blunt filming The Devil Wears Prada sequel update a focal point of excitement among fans.
Blunt confirmed the production start date during an interview on June 10, and addressed rumors that her character, Emily Charlton, now holds a powerful executive role and is set to clash once again with Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep. When asked about their on-screen dynamic, Blunt remarked,
“Why are Meryl and I so mean to each other in every movie we do?”
—Emily Blunt, Actress.
She continued,
“We always have beef with each other. I don’t know what it is. Let’s hope we remedy it. I’m not sure.”
—Emily Blunt, Actress. This teasing banter between the stars hints at a familiar, tense chemistry that fans have come to expect from their performances.
Remaining cautious about revealing details given the early production stage, Blunt told E! News at the American Institute for Stuttering’s 19th Annual Gala,
“I can’t really tell you anything.”
—Emily Blunt, Actress. Nonetheless, her infectious enthusiasm was clear as she stressed, “We’re excited, very excited.” —Emily Blunt, Actress.
Main Cast Reactions and Anticipation Grows
Preparations for the sequel have been underway despite the lengthy gap since the original film‘s premiere twenty years ago. Blunt previously hinted at the ongoing behind-the-scenes discussions at the Red Sea International Film Festival last December.
“There is stuff churning around … We would all be delighted.”
—Emily Blunt, Actress.
Stanley Tucci, who portrayed the sharp-witted Nige Kipling, expressed his eagerness to revisit the role.
“Listen, it was a great experience, right?”
—Stanley Tucci, Actor. He added,
“My hope is, if it happens—obviously we’d have to work out all the logistics—but it’d be a fun thing for everybody.”
—Stanley Tucci, Actor.
Anne Hathaway has not recently commented on the sequel but previously speculated on her character Andy Sachs’s future.
“Andy is in Paris and I think that she is writing for a wonderful French women’s magazine.”
—Anne Hathaway, Actress.
“I think she’s a staff writer and she speaks French fluently,”
—Anne Hathaway, Actress.
“I don’t think she’s married, but she might have a child or two. I think she’s pretty fab.”
—Anne Hathaway, Actress.
Early Development: Behind the Scenes of the Original Film
The film adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada began production even before Lauren Weisberger’s novel became a bestseller. Fox executives were convinced to greenlight the project from an early outline and a partial manuscript, recognizing the dramatic potential of Weisberger’s experiences as Anna Wintour’s assistant at Vogue. Carla Hacken, a key studio executive, reflected,
“I was the first person to read it at Fox 2000,”
—Carla Hacken, Studio Executive,
“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.
Several writers attempted to craft a screenplay before Aline Brosh McKenna was chosen to focus the story on the professional sacrifices made by ambitious women in the fashion publishing world. McKenna shared,
“I wrote a draft pretty quickly—it took me about a month,”
—Aline Brosh McKenna, Screenwriter.
“Then I rewrote it based on everybody’s notes.”
—Aline Brosh McKenna, Screenwriter.
Production Challenges: Fashion’s Influence on Filming
The sway held by Anna Wintour across the fashion industry posed significant obstacles for the film’s creators. McKenna recounted,
“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 said,
“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.
The Metropolitan Museum declined to participate in filming due to the association with the Met Ball, and Bryant Park, then home to New York Fashion Week, was also unavailable. Director David Frankel recalled,
“The Met Ball meant that the Metropolitan Museum wanted nothing to do with us,”
—David Frankel, Director.
“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. In the end, the production team used a friend’s Upper East Side townhouse for Miranda Priestly’s residence.
Authenticity and Set Design
Despite various hurdles, the filmmakers were able to achieve a strikingly authentic depiction of Vogue’s office, thanks to production designer Jess Gonchor. 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,”
—David Frankel, Director.
“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.
The Wardrobe: Crafting a Fashion Icon
The film’s wardrobe presented unique challenges, as notable designers were initially hesitant to lend clothing out of concern over potential fallout with Anna Wintour. Frankel noted,
“They just didn’t want to incur the wrath of Anna.”
—David Frankel, Director. Patricia Field, a legendary costumer, solved this problem by assembling a collection drawn from leading designers such as Donna Karan, Zac Posen, Rick Owens, and Prada itself. Meryl Streep, who played Miranda, emphasized the care required to return borrowed garments in pristine condition.
“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 and Real-Life Connections
Wintour displayed humor about the film’s portrayal, particularly during Vogue’s 125th anniversary issue, where Meryl Streep shared her experience of playing Wintour’s late friend, Katherine Graham. Wintour attended a screening of the movie with Weisberger, and later commented,
“It was not a true rendition of what happens within this magazine.”
—Anna Wintour, Vogue Editor-in-Chief.
Casting Meryl Streep and the Creation of Miranda Priestly
Studio executive Carla Hacken admitted that Meryl Streep was the only actress considered for the role of Miranda Priestly.
“I don’t remember anything other than, ‘Please God—let it be Meryl,’”
—Carla Hacken, Studio Executive, and upon hearing Streep’s interest,
“I was shouting in my office.”
—Carla Hacken, Studio Executive. Streep was drawn to the character’s confidence and emotional detachment.
“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.
Streep pushed for greater compensation, showcasing a Miranda-esque negotiation.
“The offer was, to my mind slightly, if not insulting, not perhaps reflective of my actual value to the project,”
—Meryl Streep, Actress.
“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. She insisted on scenes that revealed Miranda’s business acumen and a vulnerable moment in a hotel room, eventually helping shape the character‘s white-haired iconic look as well. David Frankel remembered,
“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 Journey to Playing Andy Sachs
Anne Hathaway’s casting was not immediate, as she later recalled,
“I was the ninth choice for Devil Wears Prada.”
—Anne Hathaway, Actress. The role was offered three times to Rachel McAdams, but she declined each time. Director David Frankel explained,
“We offered it to Rachel McAdams three times,”
—David Frankel, Director, and
“The studio was determined to have her, and she was determined not to do it.”
—David Frankel, Director. Streep’s interest in Hathaway was solidified after viewing her performance in Brokeback Mountain.
“Meryl watched that scene from the movie,”
—David Frankel, Director,
“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. Hathaway’s elation was unmistakable when she received the news.
“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.
Emily Blunt’s Audition and Character Transformation
The search for an actress to play Emily Charlton was exhaustive, with over 100 women auditioning for the part. Frankel was ultimately convinced by Blunt’s unassuming, sweatpants-clad read while she was auditioning for a different role on the Fox lot. Blunt recounted,
“But I was rushing for the airport, and I remember just being kind of flustered,”
—Emily Blunt, Actress.
“So I read it, but I was wearing sweatpants, and I did not look the part at all.”
—Emily Blunt, Actress. Blunt received a call days later for a callback, which came while she was out in London.
“I was in some dive club in London,”
—Emily Blunt, Actress.
“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.
Initially, the character was supposed to be American, but after Aline Brosh McKenna heard Blunt’s delivery, the role was reimagined with British mannerisms.
“We went to a coffee shop, went through the script, and peppered it with Britishisms,”
—Aline Brosh McKenna, Screenwriter. Blunt took inspiration from real-life encounters, sharing,
“I guess I steal from people I meet,”
—Emily Blunt, Actress,
“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 Iconic Role and Personal Connections
Stanley Tucci accepted the role of Runway art director Nigel Kipling at the last moment and lent his gift for improvisation to the character’s memorable dialogue.
“I love the scene when Miranda is first coming up to the office and everyone sort of panics,”
—Stanley Tucci, Actor,
“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. Some of his lines didn’t make the cut:
“That was one I made up, but every time we laughed.”
—Stanley Tucci, Actor.
Tucci’s enduring friendship with Blunt led to a fateful meeting at her 2010 wedding to John Krasinski, sparking his relationship with Felicity Blunt, Emily’s sister. He looked back on this sequence of events saying,
“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,”
—Stanley Tucci, Actor.
“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.
Supporting Cast Experiences
Tracie Thoms, who played Andy’s friend Lily, learned she was cast on her 30th birthday while attending a workshop in Dartmouth.
“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. She got the confirmation during lunch, sharing,
“I was in Dartmouth doing a workshop of a new play by Alan Ball,”
—Tracie Thoms, Actress.
“It was like, ‘Hey, so you booked Devil Wears Prada. Happy birthday!’”
—Tracie Thoms, Actress.
“It was a good birthday memory.”
—Tracie Thoms, Actress.
Thoms also remembered Adrian Grenier using his newfound fame to promote his music:
“He was using that opportunity to promote his band members, because he was not the frontman of the band,”
—Tracie Thoms, Actress,
“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.
For Thoms, the experience was memorable and shared among castmates:
“We were all like, ‘Oh my god, it’s like we’re doing Sex and the City.’ We weren’t, but it still had that very New York, very metropolitan, very trying to be grownup thing about it,”
—Tracie Thoms, Actress. She candidly described her longing to keep a gorgeous Marc Jacobs bag featured in the film, explaining,
“I asked the prop department to not show me the purse before we were rolling, because I wanted the reaction to be genuine,”
—Tracie Thoms, Actress.
“That, like, gasping and grabbing and ‘Gimme, gimme!’, that happened because that purse was gorgeous.”
—Tracie Thoms, Actress. She devised a plan to keep the accessory:
“I had a whole plot in my brain on how to keep the purse,”
—Tracie Thoms, Actress,
“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.
Filming in Paris and Cast Commitments
Streep ultimately did not film in Paris for the movie’s climactic scenes, with the studio opting for budgetary reasons to have only Hathaway and Simon Baker travel for two days of shooting. Director Frankel expressed his initial dismay at this decision, which was later remedied by securing additional studio support.
The On-Set Experience: Commitment and Method Acting
Streep largely kept to herself as she inhabited Miranda’s frosty persona, which had both professional and emotional consequences.
“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.
Before withdrawing from socializing, Streep delivered a brief encouragement to 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.”
—Meryl Streep, Actress.
The Legacy of The Devil Wears Prada
The intrigue surrounding The Devil Wears Prada persists twenty years after its release, continuing to spark enthusiasm as Emily Blunt filming The Devil Wears Prada sequel update brings old fans and new audiences together. The franchise’s sustained relevance is visible in the cast’s enduring bonds and the cultural references embedded in its dialogue and fashion. The obstacles encountered in developing the first film, from the fashion industry’s resistance to complicated logistics and the actors’ unique approaches, contributed to a finished product that has stood the test of time.
With the sequel set for release in May 2026, the impact of the original’s cast chemistry, sharp wit, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes continues to shape expectations for the next installment. As major actors and creatives reunite, anticipation builds for another glimpse into the sophisticated and pressurized world of Runway magazine, where the stakes—and the wardrobe—promise once again to be high.
