Some belated sequels crash and burn on arrival. Think \u201cZoolander 2,\u201d \u201cBlues Brothers 2000,\u201d \u201cTerminator: Dark Fate\u201d and \u201cIndependence Day: Resurgence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n All duds or box office disappointments.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Devil Wears Prada 2\u201d won\u2019t suffer that fate, despite the 20-year gap between the two films. In fact, the sequel might mimic another recent blockbuster that lured women back to theaters in droves.<\/span><\/p>\n The 2023 smash \u201cBarbie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That film wasn\u2019t just a box office juggernaut. It convinced women to dress up in the grand Barbie tradition to enjoy the experience with their best gal pals. It became a cultural flashpoint, a chance to bond over childhood memories and sisterhood.<\/span><\/p>\n Will \u201cPrada 2\u201d be a spiritual sequel to that mega-hit?<\/span><\/p>\n Photo by 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The safest bet is \u201cabsolutely.\u201d Box Office Pro predicts the sequel will <\/span>land in the $80-95 million range<\/span><\/a>, a hefty debut for a comedy. Word of mouth might do the rest.<\/span><\/p>\n For contrast, the original scored $27.5 million over a Fourth of July weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n Why the optimism? Let\u2019s start with the film\u2019s first teaser, which didn\u2019t share much in its brief running time. The under-60 second<\/a> clip became last year\u2019s <\/span>most viewed trailer<\/span><\/a>, more than sneak peeks at \u201cSinners,\u201d \u201cSuperman\u201d or \u201cA Minecraft Movie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s despite the original film\u2019s solid but hardly massive $124 million at the U.S. box office (globally, it brought in a hefty $323 million). Yet we had to wait 20 years for a sequel, despite the rising star status of featured players Anne Hathaway (as put-upon assistant Andy) and Emily Blunt as the exasperated Emily.<\/span><\/p>\n A new Fandango poll shows \u201cPrada 2\u201d as <\/span>the third most anticipated film of the summer<\/span><\/a>, behind \u201cToy Story 5\u201d and \u201cSpider-Man: Brand New Day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The sequel reunites them with Oscar-winner Meryl Streep as the venomous Miranda Priestly and Stanley Tucci. The May 1 release finds Miranda struggling to keep up with the digital age, something that wasn\u2019t a major issue in the original yarn inspired by Lauren Weisberger\u2019s bestselling novel.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo by 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved. IMDB.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The marketing team behind the sequel is keeping most of the details under wraps, a wise move.<\/span><\/p>\n The sequel does expand the original cast, adding Kenneth Branagh, \u201cBridgerton\u2019s\u201d Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak and Pauline Chalamet.<\/span><\/p>\n So why is \u201cThe Devil Wears Prada 2\u201d not a sign of Hollywood desperation but a sly acknowledgement of what audiences crave?<\/span><\/p>\n Some movies simply grow over the years, boosted by streaming access and stories that speak to something profound within us.<\/span><\/p>\n The technology in the original \u201cPrada\u201d may be dated \u2014 remember that screeching pager tune whenever Miranda needed Andy\u2019s help? The themes, by contrast, are timeless.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Devil Wears Prada\u201d nailed the hopes and dreams of young women who flirt with a brand of fame that can be intoxicating. Andy didn\u2019t care about fashion until she worked within the industry 24\/7. And, when she got her hands on some of the clothes collecting in her company\u2019s closet, she was hooked.<\/span><\/p>\n And she looked fabulous.<\/span><\/p>\n Audiences got lost in Andy\u2019s \u201cPygmalion\u201d-like makeover. We\u2019ll look past the running gag that Andy was both frumpy and overweight at the film\u2019s start. Hathaway has always been lithe and lovely.<\/span><\/p>\n Copyright: TM and2006 Twentieth Century Fox. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And as much as the Left wants to deny biology, women by and large want to look beautiful in the best fashions possible. It\u2019s why those \u201cSex and the City\u201d films featured Carrie Bradshaw luxuriating in that monstrous, overstuffed closet.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s pure escapism.<\/span><\/p>\n Plus, we\u2019ve all had bosses as demanding as Streep\u2019s Miranda Priestly, even if they couldn\u2019t chill us with one withering look. Yes, she was a monster, but who couldn\u2019t admire her drive, talent and ruthless efficiently? It helped that Streep\u2019s performance epitomized the power of the softly spoken villain.<\/span><\/p>\n She could destroy someone with a lifted eyebrow or well-manicured insult. The fact that Andy survived her chronic attacks, growing stronger by the day, proved intoxicating.<\/span><\/p>\n And then there\u2019s poor Adrien Grenier. He played Hathaway\u2019s frustrated beau in the original film, but he won\u2019t be back for an encore. Could the <\/span>negative memes<\/span><\/a> around his character be to blame? Or the fact that Grenier opted out of Hollywood, Inc. in the intervening years following his \u201cEntourage\u201d closeup?<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s showbiz. So is Hollywood\u2019s occasional ability to give audiences what they want. Yes, the industry will crank out woke reboots and insult audiences when they\u2019re summarily rejected.<\/span><\/p>\n See \u201cStarfleet Academy\u201d for Exhibit A.<\/span><\/p>\n Nostalgia still sells, and movie studios know it. The original \u201cPrada\u201d arrived at a time when culture war battles didn\u2019t distract us from our daily lives. The film lacked the gerrymandered diversity casting we too often see today.<\/span><\/p>\n No lectures. No \u201cyou go, girl\u201d feminist talking points to stop the movie cold. Andy struggled with being Miranda\u2019s assistant, but her intelligence and wit eventually made her an invaluable part of the Runway magazine team.<\/span><\/p>\n But did she sell her soul in the process? Her beau thought so, but audiences had her back from start to finish.<\/span><\/p>\n And they\u2019ll have it again soon enough.<\/span><\/p>\n Han Myung-Gu\/WireImage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The film is guaranteed a big opening weekend, but the only way to dampen the box office potential is to lean into Hollywood\u2019s worst impulses. Identity Politics. Speeches. Political asides that erupt out of the blue.<\/span><\/p>\n Or, the film\u2019s stars will use \u201cPrada\u2019s\u201d publicity tour to politicize the film. Streep is already attempting just that by <\/span>insulting fashion icon turned First Lady Melania Trump<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Some movies are critic-proof. \u201cThe Devil Wears Prada 2\u201d is both critic and culture war proof, assuming Hollywood can get out of its own way.<\/span><\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of\u00a0HollywoodInToto.com<\/a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News\u2019 Big Hollywood. Follow him at\u00a0HollywoodInToto.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2026\/04\/Prada-2-389x576.jpg\")
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