E-Paper
Meryl Streep says The Devil Wears Prada was called a chick flick: ‘That label has not worn well after Barbie, Mamma Mia’
Meryl Streep is returning with the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, and reflected on the change in the industry over the last two decades.
Nearly two decades later, The Devil Wears Prada isn’t just a film people remember — it’s one they keep going back to. Meryl Streep also earned widespread attention for her performance as Miranda Priestly, and now the actor is all set to reprise her role for the sequel. During an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Meryl talked about the film and how much the industry and its attitudes towards a film like that, has changed over the last two decades.
What Meryl said
Meryl said that the first film was barely given any budget, and added, “I mean, 20 years ago it was categorised as a ‘chick flick’, and that designation has kind of not worn well, you know? That designation has kind of not worn well after Barbie and Mamma Mia and other films that completely catch the studios by surprise that people want to see them because they have women in the center of the story,” Streep said. “So we had to scrabble for our budget.”
She continued, “So, they were not — we had to scrabble for our budget. And that was true — I think, I’ve talked to Greta [Gerwig] about it — that was true with Barbie a little bit, in comparison to what they spend on other films. This one, honey, they spent the money.”
About The Devil Wears Prada
The original film was based on author Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel about a young woman's nightmarish experience working at a fashion magazine. Meryl starred as Miranda Priestly, the all-powerful editor-in-chief of the fictional Runway magazine. Released in 2006, the film was a huge commercial success, earning $326.7 million worldwide. The film also got Meryl a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy, and an Oscar nomination.
The sequel will mark the return of the original cast, including Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, along with director David Frankel and producer Wendy Finerman. Joining them are all new actors including Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak and Conrad Ricamora. The trailer opens with Andy, now a senior journalist, joining Runway as the new Features Editor, and even she greets Miranda warmly, the veteran has no recollection of her. A montage of glitzy shots from the world of fashion follow before the two bump into Emily, and yet again, Miranda has no recollection of them. The film is set to release in theatres on May 1.
