After nearly three months in theaters, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is now available to stream. The sequel arrived on Hulu and Disney+ on Wednesday, July 29, following a theatrical run that turned Miranda Priestly’s return into considerably more than a nostalgia exercise.
The film reunites Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, while revisiting a fashion and publishing industry that has become even less stable since the original film arrived in 2006. Apparently, declining print revenue looks better when accompanied by immaculate tailoring.
Where can you stream the sequel?
The film began streaming on Hulu and Disney+ at 3 a.m. ET on July 29. Official information from 20th Century Studios and release listings from the Associated Press, UPI and Forbes all confirm availability on both services.
That means standalone Disney+ subscribers can watch the movie. A Disney+ and Hulu bundle is not required, despite earlier information suggesting Disney+ access would be limited to bundle customers.
For viewers considering Hulu, the service currently costs:
- $11.99 per month with advertisements
- $18.99 per month without advertisements
Disney also offers bundles combining Hulu with Disney+ and, at higher tiers, Max. Prices and advertising options vary by package.
Those who would rather rent or purchase the movie digitally have had that option since June 30. Forbes reported that its paid on-demand release included platforms such as Prime Video.
The streaming launch completes a fairly standard release schedule: theaters first, paid digital access second, subscription services last. The difference is that this particular office reunion arrived with a box-office result that gave the industry little reason to whisper.
How successful was its theatrical run?
20th Century Studios released the sequel in theaters on May 1. The PG-13 film runs 119 minutes and went on to earn approximately $690.3 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The Associated Press reported a slightly earlier total of more than $688 million.
Either figure places it well ahead of the original film, which earned about $327 million globally. The Numbers estimates that the sequel carried a production budget of roughly $100 million, although that figure does not include the full cost of marketing and distribution.
The result gives the follow-up unusually strong economics for a long-delayed comedy-drama built around returning characters. It also explains why its streaming debut matters beyond convenience. After almost two decades of audience affection, quotations and endless clips circulating online, the franchise proved that its appeal could still translate into ticket sales.
The sequel’s commercial performance also arrived as studios continue mining familiar properties. In this case, audiences did not merely recognize the wardrobe. They showed up for it.
What is the new story about?
The sequel catches up with Andrea “Andy” Sachs 20 years after the events of the first movie. Anne Hathaway’s character returns to Runway as its new features editor, once again working under Meryl Streep’s formidable editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly.
Emily Blunt returns as Emily Charlton, Miranda’s former first assistant, who has since become a senior executive at Dior. Stanley Tucci is also back as Nigel Kipling, Miranda’s longtime colleague and trusted right hand.
Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna told Vogue that the film does not adapt author Lauren Weisberger’s published sequel. “It’s a new story,” she said.
That story focuses in part on the shrinking power of print media and the financial pressure surrounding legacy magazines. Director David Frankel put the underlying anxiety plainly in an interview with The Guardian: “The media business is frightening today.”
The premise gives the returning characters more than a simple anniversary tour. Miranda still commands a room, but the institution around her is no longer as secure. Authority, it turns out, is harder to maintain when the business model has started checking the exits.
Why did the fashion industry embrace this film?
The original movie famously satirized the fashion world, which did not exactly encourage luxury brands to volunteer their clothes and reputations for the joke. The relationship was different this time.
McKenna told The Guardian that fashion companies’ willingness to participate in a franchise that mocks their industry had “kind of blown our minds.” Emily’s new position at Dior places a major label directly inside the story, reflecting how thoroughly the first film shifted from industry satire to pop-culture fixture.
That change also says something about the modern attention economy. Fashion houses now operate in a landscape shaped by social media, celebrity partnerships and entertainment coverage. Appearing in a major studio sequel can be useful even when the screenplay is not especially reverent about the business.
The film’s critical reception included praise for the returning cast’s familiarity. Entertainment critic Johnny Oleksinski wrote that Streep “retains an easy chemistry with Hathaway and [Emily] Blunt, who step back into their parts gracefully like no time has passed.”
The actors may make the reunion look effortless. The media and fashion industries surrounding them have spent those 20 years becoming considerably more complicated.
Who appears in the cast?
The sequel brings back several central figures while adding a large group of new editors, assistants, executives and personal complications.
- Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of Runway
- Anne Hathaway as Andrea “Andy” Sachs, Miranda’s former assistant and the magazine’s new features editor
- Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton, now a senior Dior executive
- Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling, Miranda’s longtime right hand
- Justin Theroux as Benji Barnes, Emily’s boyfriend
- Kenneth Branagh as Stuart Simmons, Miranda’s new husband
- Lucy Liu as Sasha Barnes, Benji’s former wife
- B. J. Novak as Jay Ravitz, heir to the Elias-Clarke publishing company
- Simone Ashley as Amari Mari, Miranda’s first assistant
- Caleb Hearon as Charlie, Miranda’s second assistant
- Helen J. Shen as Jin Chao, Andy’s assistant
- Patrick Brammall as Peter, Andy’s love interest
- Tracie Thoms as Lily, Andy’s best friend
- Tibor Feldman as Irv Ravitz, chairman of Runway and owner of Elias-Clarke
- Pauline Chalamet as Ilana Poole, a Runway editor
- Rachel Bloom as Talia, Andy’s friend
- George C. Wolfe as Paul, a Runway editor
- Larry Mitchell as Mack, Andy’s journalist friend
- Wes McGee as Frank, Emily’s former husband
- Conrad Ricamora in a supporting role
For anyone who skipped the theatrical run, the full office politics package is now available without leaving the sofa. Miranda would presumably disapprove of the attire.
