The cast announcement for The Devil Wears Prada 2 is jam-packed with talent, but I’m nervous.
I was 10 years old when I first saw the film in a Croydon cinema with my friend and her mother, and I was completely hooked.
I’ve seen the film again countless times since then, constantly tuning into re-runs on telly, and finding it a comfort to stream when I’m feeling poorly or dreadfully hungover.
When it was announced that the film was set for a sequel, after nearly 20 years, I was ecstatic and quietly hopeful that it would be at the same calibre as the noughties movie.
My optimism was because the original cast, including Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci, are reprising their roles, and much of the creative team from the original has signed back on with David Frankel returning to direct and Wendy Finerman returning to produce.
The sequel seems to be in pretty safe hands, so the latest announcement that Simone Ashley, Kenneth Branagh, and Lucy Liu have been confirmed as cast members should be music to my ears.
Unfortunately, it’s anything but.
The stars are joining the cast alongside The Office’s B.J. Novak, TikTok and Overcompensating star Caleb Hearon, The Sex Life of College Girl’s Pauline Chalamet, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s Justin Theroux.
The newcomers have all found ways to light up the screen, so why should their appearance be anything but a welcome new addition to the sequel?
Here’s the problem.
When a beloved movie is rebooted for a sequel, sometimes a jam-packed cast is announced to secure bums in seats at the cinema.
But a stacked cast doesn’t equal quality, in fact, shoe-horning in as many famous faces as possible to keep audiences and critics entertained can often feel a bit cheap, and a way to ensure there’s a conversation about the film – without having to make the film actually good.
For example, Zoolander No. 2, had a bonkers cast with all the original famous faces returning, plus the likes of Will Ferrell, Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig and Benedict Cumberbatch, and Fred Armisen all joining the main cast.
The cameos were also off the charts with Justin Bieber, Naomi Campbell, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and John Malkovich all stepping in.
But this didn’t save the film from being a complete flop, with mostly negative reviews and earning $56.7 million (£41.74m) against a $50–55m (£37- £40m) budget.
A lot of movie reboots have fallen into this trap. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was meant to revitalise the franchise 19 years on from the last movie in 2008.
Securing the original cast, including Harrison Ford, actors including Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, John Hurt, and Jim Broadbent were all brought on board.
Although the film could hardly be called a flop, it did disappoint many fans who wanted the reboot after nearly two decades to deliver something magnificent and felt underwhelmed by the lacklustre film.
The 2019 movie Men in Black: International was an attempt to revitalise the franchise with Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall, and Liam Neeson joining the cast.
Despite the Hollywood heavyweights, the movie was a flop and widely considered very forgettable and lacking anything substantially worthy of praise.
The movie, like many other reboots, was another prime example of a franchise being brought back because it’s an easy cash grab. Not because there’s a story worth telling.
Slapping some big names on the cast list to draw punters in, and then not delivering when it comes to the end product, has sadly become rather familiar when it comes to Hollywood blockbusters.
But listen, I want to be wrong.
There are sequels bursting with talent that still managed to be fabulous additions to a franchise.
Anchorman 2 delighted fans nine years after the original, featuring one of the most stacked casts of all time, including numerous cameos from virtually every comedy actor working at the time.
Shrek 2 added Jennifer Saunders, Julie Andrews, Rupert Everett, John Cleese, Joan Rivers, and Antonio Banderas to the cast and didn’t budge an inch on plot, narrative, and creativity. That said, the sequel did come just three years after the original movie and wasn’t trying to revitalise a franchise – also the following sequels left a lot to be desired.
The Devil Wears Prada franchise is also built for cameos, with the characters mingling with the rich and famous in the fashion industry.
There would be perfect opportunities to throw in a few famous faces into the movie – much like Gisele Bündchen’s appearance in the OG movie as Runway worker Serena.
I’m just concerned that announcing an all-star lineup a year before the film is going to be released is trying to drum up excitement that really shouldn’t be necessary.
Even with just the four main cast members returning, the movie is almost guaranteed to sell tickets just from a nostalgia factor. Fans can’t wait to see where the beloved characters are after nearly two decades and want to be immersed once again in this fashionable, high-end world.
I just hope the new film is worthy to fill the enormous, likely Prada, shoes left by the original movie.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is due to be released in cinemas on Friday May 1, 2026.
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