“The Devil Wears Prada 2”: Critics Praise Sequel as 'Savvier Than Its Predecessor' with Generally Favorable Reviews
“The Devil Wears Prada 2”: Critics Praise Sequel as 'Savvier Than Its Predecessor' with Generally Favorable Reviews
Tommy McArdle, Jack SmartWed, April 29, 2026 at 5:57 PM UTC
0
Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada 2Credit: Macall Polay/20th Century Studios -
Critics began weighing in on The Devil Wears Prada 2 on Wednesday, April 29
The movie carries a 78% fresh score on critic aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is in theaters May 1
The Devil Wears Prada 2 reunites audiences with Anne Hathaway's Andy Sachs, Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly and the fashion magazine Runway 20 years after the original hit. What did movie critics think?
The sequel (in theaters May 1), also tapped returning director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, who originally adapted Lauren Weisberger's novel The Devil Wears Prada in 2006. Familiar faces also include stars Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton and Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling, along with newcomers Simone Ashley, Kenneth Branagh, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux and more.
After the movie received generally positive reactions from film critics and journalists who saw the sequel earlier this week, the full reviews are in. The movie was met with a 78% Rotten Tomatoes approval from around 60-odd critics once the review embargo ended on Wednesday, April 29.
USA TODAY's Brian Truitt said the sequel "mostly sticks to the formula that worked in 2006’s first Devil and tosses in plenty of Easter eggs for movie fans and fashionistas alike," while noting that "the real throwback that works best is Andy and Emily’s relationship."
Rolling Stone's David Fear wrote that The Devil Wears Prada 2 "knows that it’s got to walk the fine line between giving the people what they want — cattiness, couture, glamor, the glory that is a Stanley Tucci eye roll — and acknowledging that a lot has happened in two decades." He added, "Everyone involved gives you the sense that they want to be there, which is more than you can say for a lot of late-in-the-game follow-ups," while noting that "the alpha of the original film’s dual-assistant 'Emilys' remains a Blunt instrument."
(Left-right:) Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci in 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'Credit: Macall Polay/20th Century Studios
The New Yorker's Justin Chang wrote, "Rest assured that The Devil Wears Prada 2 is, no less than its predecessor, a glossy Manhattan fairy tale, and one so overstuffed with top-of-the-line fabrics that cushy landings are all but certain." Chang says in certain respects, the sequel proves "savvier than its predecessor" and, rooted in the dire state of modern journalism, is ultimately "selling a truckload of preposterous goods, but it sells them awfully well, with unfeigned assurance, conviction, and the appropriate ratio of cynicism to hope."
Advertisement
The Independent's Clarisse Loughey gave the movie four stars out of five in her review, in which she praised each of the lead actors' performances and complimented the movie for delivering "what might be the most trenchant, committed portrait made about the state of contemporary journalism," as she wrote. "It's not exactly All the President's Men, but we're in a dire situation – it'll do nicely," Loughey added elsewhere in the review.
Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'Credit: Macall Polay/20th Century Studios
Not all critics were as charmed. The Seattle Times' Moira Macdonald gave the movie just two stars out of a four. She praised Hathaway and Blunt's performances, while otherwise criticizing the approach taken to Streep's Miranda Priestly. The movie "lacks the first movie's playful spark; it feels like fan fiction, with everyone gamely going through the motions without finding anything fresh," Macdonald wrote at one point in the review. Elsewhere, she added, "I'm writing this after just seeing this movie last night and I can't remember much else about the plot, except that it wasn't very funny and that I want all of Andy's outfits."
IndieWire's Kate Erbland also wasn't as impressed, giving the film a C+, though complimenting Streep as "viciously funny" in reprising Miranda Priestly and praising Hathaway's performance as her character Andy Sachs. "The film's basic plot is pretty thin — can Miranda and Andy save Runway, together? — and it only briefly touches on spicier material," she wrote. "If you loved the first film, you'll surely like this one. You'll also see every twist and turn coming from a mile away."
Deadline's Damon Wise simply wrote that The Devil Wears Prada 2 "doesn't really have a story," while praising Tucci for "stealing his scenes with a lot more of what worked so well" in the original movie. Wise also criticized the movie's "precious little [romantics subplots]" that include Kenneth Branagh and Patrick Brammall as Miranda and Andy's love interests, respectively.
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is in theaters May 1.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
