Note: There are no major spoilers ahead, but if you want to go into the film knowing absolutely nothing, just bookmark this for later!
Gird your loins! It’s been nearly 20 years sinceThe Devil Wears Pradafirst gave us cerulean monologues, terrifying bosses, and one of the most iconic fashion movies of all time. And now thatThe Devil Wears Prada 2has finally arrived, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than you might think. From how the sequel almost didn’t happen at all to the surprisingly specific details that made it into the film (including a certain drugstore purchase), here’s a deeper look at all the behind-the-scenes facts, fashion moments, and production secrets you probably didn’t notice. That's all!
1. In case you're wondering, this film doesn’t adapt the follow-up book (yup, there's a sequel novel from 2013 calledRevenge Wears Prada...and even a third book from 2018 calledWhen Life Gives You Lululemons). Even though author Lauren Weisberger wrote a second book, the film goes in a completely different direction. Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna said they wanted “a new world with new circumstances, dilemmas, [and] an evolution of the relationships,” instead of retelling an existing story.
2. The sequel almost didn’t happen. According to the director, they refused to even consider making it unlessMeryl Streepsaid yes. They met with Streep in spring 2024 and were filming within a year.
3. But it was a randomSAG Awardsreunion that basically reignited things. In 2024, Streep,Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt reunited onstage to present together, and it reminded everyone how much people still love these characters. The director said it was one of the moments where it became “clear there was still so much public affection for this trio and for the movie.”
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4. And, randomly, Lin-Manuel Miranda helped, too. He hosted a massive screening of the original film at a 3,000-seat theater, followed by a Q&A with Streep, the writer, and the director. It was especially meaningful because it was the first time Streep had seen the movie in 18 years — and the energy from that night helped push the sequel from “idea” to “okay, let’s actually do this.”
5. In case you're wondering (like I was) if Streep was wearing a wig with "thinning hair"...she was! The filmmakers said they wanted to age Miranda visually in a very specific way. Instead of reinventing her look, they actually reused Miranda’s original wig from the first film and then removed hair and reshaped it to reflect her being older.
6. Early in the film, as Andy walks through Central Park, you can see a vendor selling two "identical-looking" blue belts in a nod to the iconic cerulean monologue from the first film...
7. ...and, of course, at the end of the film, we see Andy wearing an updated version of the iconic cerulean blue sweater, now cut up into a ~funky~ (I guess, more fashionable?!) vest.
8. Speaking of Andy's outfits, Anne Hathaway had upwards of 47 costume changes in the film. According to costume designer Molly Rogers, Andy's wardrobe is a huge part of showing how she has evolved — mixing vintage pieces with designer fashion to reflect that she’s now a seasoned journalist who travels and shops globally.
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9. Meanwhile, Meryl Streep had 28. Rogers explained that Miranda’s looks are more uniform-based now, reinforcing her as a figure of consistency and control in a chaotic industry.
10. And one of Miranda’s most important accessories came from, of all places, CVS. Streep herself found the perfect pair of silver hoop earrings at a CVS and brought them to her fitting. The costume designer said they had been searching everywhere for the right pair, and Meryl just…pulled them out of her purse. They ended up using that exact pair in the film and only had one set, which stressed everyone out. (Films typically have several duplicates of something like this in case one gets lost, damaged, etc.)
11. Rogers said she avoided fashion trends on purpose. Instead of chasing what’s “in” right now, the goal was to make the fashion feel timeless. She said she actively removed pieces that wouldn’t “hold up for the next 20 years,” even if they were trendy, because the looks needed to last beyond the moment.
12. Speaking of timeless classics, during the opening fashion gala, you can see huge banners that say: "Spring Florals," a hilarious nod to Miranda's iconic line from the first film, "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking."
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13. There are only TWO custom-made pieces in the entire movie. One of them is Miranda’s dramatic red gala gown, designed specifically for the film by Balenciaga creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. Everything else is sourced, archival, or pulled from designers.
14. Italian designers went all in for the Milan scenes. The production pulled from basically awho’s whoof fashion: Prada, Fendi, Moschino, Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, and more all contributed pieces. So when the Milan runway scenes look real…it’s because they basically are.
15. The Runway office set is eight times bigger than the original. They massively scaled it up and even modeled parts of the layout after Vogue’s real bullpen, just more exaggerated and cinematic.
16. One of the new assistants, Amari, played by Simone Ashley, was inspired by…Richard Gere inAmerican Gigolo. Ashley revealed she was told to study Gere’s performance for her role to capture a specific, understated"less is more"energy for her character.
17. Caleb Hearon, who plays Charlie, admitted he took a Runway magazine notepad as a souvenir.
18. Sasha Barnes’s (Lucy Liu) estate in the film is actually Billy Joel’s 26-acre mansion in Oyster Bay, Long Island, which production used while it was on the market.
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19. "The Last Supper" museum scene is fake (but VERY detailed). They couldn’t film in the real location (for obvious reasons), so production recreated it on a soundstage with Italian scenic painters building a version that was about ¾ the size of the original.
20. Streep completely changed her on-set approach this time. During the first movie, she famously stayed distant from Hathaway and Blunt to maintain Miranda’s intimidating energy. But this time? Total opposite. She was “warm and loving,” hanging out with the cast and even baking cookies for the crew. The director said the set felt like “a family” this time around.
21. The Runway show was built in just five days by people who do real Milan Fashion Week shows. A local crew that normally produces actual runway events constructed the show set, which is why it looks so authentic on screen.
22. Runway’s fashion show takes place at the Accademia di Brera, a fine arts school in Milan. The scene was originally supposed to take place in front of Milan's iconicDuomo, however, the Brera was ultimately chosen for the privacy it afforded the cast and crew (and helped to keep a certain cameo under wraps).
23. Finally, one of the biggest reasons they waited 20 years to make a sequel? The iPhone. The filmmakers said the first iPhone coming out right after the original movie marked the beginning of a massive shift in media. As print journalism slowly declined, it finally created a story worth telling — specifically, how someone like Miranda Priestly would deal with “the demise of her empire” in a digital world.
All facts have been sourced from the film's production notes unless otherwise noted!
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