Twenty years after The Devil Wears Prada opened the doors to the glamorous and cut-throat world of fashion publishing, writer Aline Brosh McKenna the iconic universe is revisited. This time, the sequel serves as a harsh reality check, set in an era shaped by layoffs, collapsing media empires, clickbait headlines, influencers and algorithms, amid an increasingly digital world.In an exclusive chat with ETimes, the renowned writer explains why the sequel eschews seam for chaos, while shedding light on the ever-changing landscape of journalism, fashion and celebrity culture. Although the decades have changed a lot, he shared his enthusiasm for dating older women Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt.While the sequel leaves the door wide open for another chapter, McKenna admits that the future of the Prada universe may ultimately depend on one thing Hollywood understands best: box office numbers. Summaries:Twenty years ago, ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ opened the doors to the world of journalism and fashion, and now here we are again with Andy unleashing it in a wild and modern way. Why was it important to start the story there, instead of bringing the audience back to glamor first?Well, a lot of the inspiration for this film was to show how things have changed and how challenging the world of journalism has become. And indeed all three businesses – journalism, fashion, publishing – have faced significant challenges. So I wanted to immediately get the feeling that things could disappear at any moment. Cultural institutions, newspapers, magazines, television channels, companies, you know, can simply disappear like that. And I think it’s something that’s happening to everybody in different fields. So I think a lot of people who have seen the movie and seen that scene have experienced something like that.Did you consciously want the sequel to reflect the anxiety of the modern world?Yeah, I think that was kind of the reason we wanted to go back and revisit this world because we imagined the challenges these people would face. And it would be really, really interesting to see how Miranda deals with the magazine’s popularity, her popularity, in a world that isn’t as impressed as it used to be. Everything has changed. Cultural institutions are much more precarious. And so we always thought it was fun to think about how Miranda would deal with these challenges in the intervening years.Did writing film ever feel like documenting the death of a certain era of publishing? How did you balance those issues without becoming preachy?It’s about humans. I think it’s a very human story. It certainly reflects what is happening with institutions. But really, it’s a story about characters and relationships. And I think we had the opportunity to go a little deeper and explore the relationships between them a little more. And it’s always good to forcefully explore relationships. And they face common challenges, so it brings them together, despite the fact that – the four main characters – still have a very different way of approaching the world.What was it like stepping back into this world and meeting actresses like Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt?They are the biggest. They are wonderful to work with. They are among the most professional and talented people. I won’t break the news by telling you that. I am always honored to work with them. And they’re really wonderful collaborators for a writer and very respectful, but always willing to talk about the material. And we work together on set. Each film is a different workplace. And the Prada world is one of my favorite workplaces, one of my favorite places I’ve ever worked.In today’s world of influencers, algorithms and social media, who do you think really holds the power in fashion and media? Influencers are the new superstars?Well, you know, we’re seeing that there’s still a place for traditional gatekeepers, but it’s certainly very widespread in different fields and people’s opinions. Now they can put them online for all to see. I mean, there’s a lot of ways to do it – YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook – a lot of social media. So in a world with so many voices, I think people are looking for voices to be heard. And I think younger people have a much wider range of people they listen to. And, you know, it’s very difficult to get buy-in in a world where creative opinions are changing so much. So all the designers, all those fields, have had to be much more nimble about who is really being heard.Do you think audiences today are looking for more honesty in movies? Has writing become more difficult in an age of political correctness and constant social media scrutiny?We definitely have a lot more voices in a movie. But I think we’ve all enjoyed the interaction with the audience and the fans over the last 20 years. We definitely learned a lot about the first movie from the people who responded to it. And it’s been very interesting to see how people respond to this film. I think it’s wonderful that we still want these big events that bring everyone together.You can feel that everyone is excited to go to the cinema and people are having a birthday party with 10 people, 20 people, 40 people at the cinema or theater. All in all, it seems like a celebration of going to the movies.And so it’s been really exciting. And you can never predict when that will happen. But people actually show up to see something. And that is really wonderful.The cameos and casting choices in this film feel even bigger and bolder. At what point did you realize that the line itself had become part of fashion mythology?Well, as soon as we started filming, people were following the production in the streets. So we could tell right away that there was a lot of interest, just people on the street. And I certainly have never experienced such a thing. People were excited to see the actors, excited to see these characters again. And then we started to sense that people were excited to catch up with these people and see what they were up to.Indian filmmaker Karan Johar He has praised the film and the legendary actor Rekha he has spoken warmly about it as well. How does it feel to see the story resonate across cultures, generations and age groups?So this movie is doing very well internationally, as well as the first movies. People from all over the world are interested. I think fashion is a language that transcends countries, and people really respond to the story and the characters and the world.And it really is an international world. Designers all over the world are very successful. And I think we all know a lot more designers than we do.And it’s been really wonderful to see it connect with audiences around the world, just like the first film.I also noticed a much more inclusive and international cast this time around, including similar actors Simone Ashley. Was it an active creative choice?It truly reflects the world. In fact, it’s quite a diverse world and it’s getting bigger. Fashion is something that attracts people from all over the world and all kinds of people. And I think it’s a refuge and a thrill for all kinds of people. And so assembling that cast was really exciting. And I think we’ve been very lucky to find very smart actors who fit in that world very well.The film is doing very well at the box office, and the sequel definitely leaves the audience wanting more. Do you personally see this as the end of Andy’s story, or could there be a third movie, hopefully with a shorter wait this time?Well, we can’t wait any longer, because then we won’t be here. We are taking a step forward in a way and excited to see the response we are getting. I would work with this cast and this group of people anytime. So we are taking it step by step.Do the box office numbers make the possibility of a third film more realistic?I mean, it helps. It definitely helps us feel like there is an audience for the story to unfold. But like in this movie, many elements have to come together. And since we’re only two weeks out, I think everyone’s taking it one step at a time.Just as the film turns Runway Magazine digital, would the film team ever consider a direct digital release for a third film?Oh, you mean instead of the theater? I don’t know We’re not talking about that yet. But the first film is of course available digitally. And I think this movie (The Devil Wears Prada 2) will be available digitally in the fall.
