As a journalist, 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' had me sweating

You've likely noticed that journalism has transformed in the 20 years since The Devil Wears Prada distilled the profession into a pop-cultural moment. Based on Lauren Weisberger's novel, this iconic satire, alongside fellow fashion media gems Ugly Betty, The Bold Type, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, inspired a generation of wide-eyed, early-internet journalists. (Me, I'm talking about me.)

Now online metrics keep editors up at night, with virality that all-important talking point in editorial meetings, the higher-ups insistent on "gaining online traction," and the impact of AI overviews and chatbots a pervasive thorn in all of our sides. Legacy media has, of course, transformed with the internet, especially fashion journalism. Recently taking the hallowed reins from Miranda Priestly–inspiration Anna Wintour, Vogue's head of editorial content is former Vogue.com editor Chloe Malle, and the publication's Met Gala is an internet moment as much as an in-person event. 

And it's now, in 2026, that The Devil Wears Prada 2 arrives — refreshed, but ever-committed to old-school media ethics and making Big Bads out of corporate tech bros who value profit over authenticity.

From the film's very first moments, the current state of media is on full display by director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna, whether championed or dismissed as yesterday's news.

Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) is still very much the formidable editor-in-chief of the illustrious Vogue Runway magazine. Owned by Condé Nast Elias-Clark Publications, Runway now has a social media and video strategy. In the plot, Miranda's job could potentially evolve from EIC into a "global head of content" (essentially mirroring Wintour's path to being Condé Nast's chief content officer). Only slightly showing grief at her industry's evolution, she's now answering to the Elias-Clark chairman Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman) and his corporate tech bro son Jay (B.J. Novak) along with an ever-evolving world of online advertisers. 

Meryl Streep and Anne Hathway in "The Devil Wears Prada 2." Credit: Macall Polay / 20th Century Studios

Meanwhile, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathway) is winning awards for her work at investigative outlet Vanguard and going viral for acceptance speeches in which she declares "journalism still f***ing matters." Through Miranda and Andy, the film spends ample energy on the difficulties of balancing "pieces with gravitas" and editorial integrity with corporate demands, as well as how hard it can be for editorial teams to argue the value of a publisher's authentic point of view. As Andy says, "They keep sucking the soul out of everything and repackaging it."

To keep Miranda and Andy in esteemed company, there’s a wave of cameos from renowned editors, journalists, and authors including Edward Enniful, Tina Brown, Vanessa Friedman, Kara Swisher, Jia Tolentino, Suleika Jaouad, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Tomi Adeyemi, and Molly Jong-Fast.

But not everyone's on the same "yay journalism!" page. "Remember when magazines were a thing?" asks Emily (Emily Blunt), a disgruntled but still chic ex-Runway employee who has since moved into high-fashion retail. (No one in this movie says the word "Substack" or mentions the overlap between the creator economy and fashion, for what it's worth.)

Emily Blunt in "The Devil Wears Prada 2." Credit: Macall Polay / 20th Century Studios

Again and again, The Devil Wears Prada 2 satirises extremely specific, problematic elements of the current state of media. The excessive spending of the pre-2020s industry is mourned. A moment early on in the film, when Andy's entire editorial team is fired by text at a journalism awards event uncomfortably mirrors the too-many newsrooms gutted by top-down layoffs in recent years. (Succession Season 2 even parodied this sad reality with Kendall Roy's brutal Vaulter layoffs.) Corporate euphemisms like "downsizing" and "consolidation" for layoffs go hand in hand with insistent pressure from the top. "Let's show the markets we are ready to crank that EBITDA!" Jay Ravitz says in a moment of dialogue that's way too real.

At times, the film tips over into grandstanding (watching Andy declare journalism more important than real estate to an agent she's into feels ridiculous). And at times, the film also falls into romanticising the practicalities of the job: Andy helming Runway's well-funded, hallowed features department without a staff writer or freelancer in sight? Unlikely.

But, for a film whose main drawcard is the glossy high fashion world, celebrity cameos, and a magnificent cast, The Devil Wears Prada 2 goes unexpectedly hard examining the challenge of maintaining editorial integrity in today's media industry. That job "thousands of girls would kill for?" It's changed.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is now available to rent or purchase on Prime Video. This story was originally published on May 1 with the film's release in cinemas.