The Devil Wears Prada 2 held press screenings in New York on Monday 28 April, drawing positive early reactions from critics as the sequel prepares for its theatrical release on 1 May 2026 via 20th Century Studios.
The film reunites Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci in their original roles more than 18 years after the first film, with Justin Theroux and Kenneth Branagh joining the cast as new additions.
The sequel is one of the most anticipated releases of the first half of 2026, drawing on a film that became a cultural touchstone of the mid-2000s and has held its audience through two decades of streaming availability.
The cast and what they are bringing back
The original The Devil Wears Prada, based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel, established Streep’s Miranda Priestly as one of cinema’s most quoted and imitated characters.
Its endurance lies partly in its layered commentary on ambition, mentorship and identity, and partly in the specific chemistry between its four leads.
Getting all four back for the sequel required years of alignment, and the question of whether the ensemble would actually share meaningful screen time in the follow-up was raised early by cast members themselves.
Emily Blunt’s involvement marks a significant casting addition to the sequel, as her character Emily Charlton was a secondary role in the first film, one that has grown substantially in cultural memory since 2006.
Early reactions and what Hathaway revealed at the screening
Speaking at Monday’s event in New York, Hathaway disclosed that one of her favourite sequences in the film came from a suggestion by Blunt. Blunt had raised the concern during production that the four original cast members did not share enough screen time together, which prompted the addition of a reunion scene for the core group.
“It’s one of my favourite scenes in the entire movie,” Hathaway said.
The revelation points to a production where cast input shaped the final cut. It also addresses the most common risk of ensemble sequels, where returning actors are often siloed into separate storylines rather than genuinely occupying the frame together.
Early reactions from press screenings, covered by the Hollywood Reporter, were broadly positive. Full critical reviews are expected in the days ahead of the 1 May theatrical opening.
The South African theatrical release date has not been confirmed at the time of publishing.
Given 20th Century Studios’ standard global distribution pattern for wide releases of this scale, local screenings are expected in the same window as the US opening.
