Prada

IN The Devil Wears Prada, ambitions and egos are trampled over by stiletto-heeled rivals desperate to claw their way to the top of the fashion world.

But behind the scenes of the original 2006 film, British star Emily Blunt was playing matchmaker to the cast.

The actress reveals she was partly responsible for connecting co-star Anne Hathaway with her now- husband Adam Shulman.

Speaking ahead of the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2, which is in cinemas today, she also talks about her close ties with cast member Stanley Tucci, who went on to marry Emily’s sister Felicity.

Emily, who has two children with her actor husband John Krasinski, says: “Stanley is my brother-in- law now. I have a little nephew and niece from it.

“And Annie met her husband Adam through me and John. There are so many tendrils that run out from this experience 20 years ago. It’s amazing.”

It certainly is remarkable how much has changed for the cast since the first film.

Before the hit movie was released, Londoner Emily was a relative unknown.

Being cast as Emily Charlton, the put-upon senior assistant to Meryl Streep’s nightmarish fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, was her big break.

‘So kind to me’

Emily recalls: “It really was my first big role. I mean, I had done some stuff in England that no one knew about. I felt very green but thrilled to be there.

“The first film — I have these lasting, very prominent memories of it. Such an informative time in my life. I really didn’t know anything.”

The actress hit it off straight away with Anne, who she affectionately refers to as Annie.

She continues: “Annie and Meryl and Stan. They were all so kind to me.”

The Devil Wears Prada was a worldwide success, making more than £250million at the box office — ten times its modest budget.

Anne, 43, who played naive aspiring journalist Andy Sachs, and Emily found their lives intertwined again two years later.

Emily met A Quiet Place actor John, 46, in a Los Angeles restaurant in 2008 and, later that year, he helped introduce Anne to his actor and jewellery designer friend Adam, 45.

This was a fortuitous event for Anne because that year her relationship with businessman Raffaello Follieri had ended after he was charged with fraud.

The Devil Wears Prada played an even bigger part in bringing Stanley and wife Felicity together.

We do love talking some s*** about family. It’s great. Bit of goss

Emily Blunt, on working with her brother-in-law Stanley Tucci

Oscar-nominated star Stanley, 65, first met Emily’s sister at the movie’s premiere. At that time, though, he was happily married to Kathryn Spath with whom he has three children.

Tragically, social worker Kathryn died from breast cancer in 2009, aged 47, leaving Stanley heartbroken.

A year later, he reconnected with literary agent Felicity at Emily and John’s star-studded wedding in Lake Como, Italy.

And the love links do not stop there.

In a strange twist, Anne and Adam held their California wedding on the same weekend in September 2012 as Stanley and Felicity celebrated their nuptials in London.

Meryl, 76, who had also remained good pals with Tucci, was one of his guests.

Working with her brother-in-law on the Devil Wears Prada sequel was fun for Emily.

She says: “We do love talking some s*** about family. It’s great. Bit of goss.”

Stanley, who plays Miranda’s right- hand man Nigel Kipling in the movies, has become a well-known foodie thanks to his BBC travel show Searching For Italy.

On their eating habits, Emily adds: “Stanley and I have never had a no-carbs rule. All we eat is beige. We eat only beige food. And John loves to eat.”

Emily’s daughters Hazel, 12, and Violet, nine, enjoyed playing with Stanley and Felicity’s children ­Matteo, 11, and eight-year-old ­Emilia when they stayed together in Italy to film scenes for The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Anne and Emily have also remained good friends since making the original, which meant the cast of the sequel were unusually close.

She says: “I do get nostalgic. I was very moved when we got back together and we did the table read 20 years later. Going into the second film, 20 years felt like a blink and also a lifetime. It’s a really wild thing.”

That continued during filming in New York last summer.

Going into the second film, 20 years felt like a blink and also a lifetime. It’s a really wild thing

Emily Blunt

Emily continues: “When we got back together, I loved working with Annie because she’s a great dance partner in scenes. You know, she’s very spontaneous. She’ll sort of go with whatever you want to do.”

Emily also lapped up the attention of three-time Oscar winner Meryl.

The actress wore a glamorous tulle and feathered Schiaparelli gown at the New York premiere, which Streep clearly appreciated.

Emily laughs: “Meryl said she almost grabbed my boob on the red carpet just to feel it . . . the furry feathers. I would have loved it — it’s Meryl Streep.”

While her Devil Wears Prada character is famously particular about what she wears, that isn’t the case for Emily in real life.

The actress is far more casual when she is at home in London and New York.

She comments: “I feel like I still dress like a teenage boy. I think most of my life is dressed for comfort, you know, with the kids and everything, and going to set.

“But what I love about a press tour or a red carpet is that it can be a spectacle.”

The cast’s cosy love-in couldn’t be more different to the plot of The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Catty in catwalk

In the sequel, Miranda is still the ruthless editor of Runway, but the magazine is in financial trouble.

Andy, who made it as a writer, suddenly loses her job and finds herself back at Runway.

Meanwhile, Emily’s namesake character — Miranda’s former mistreated assistant, whose witty quotes include “I’m just one stomach flu away from my goal weight” — is now in charge of global brand Dior, which gives her all the power she needs for revenge.

Emily has more money and power now, and access to the archives. So that was thrilling

Emily Blunt, on her character

Emily says: “It’s quite a switch-up in dynamics. She’s a major executive at Dior. And Miranda is ultimately rather beholden to her for the advertising space.

“Emily has more money and power now, and access to the archives. So that was thrilling.”

While Miranda has to tone down her harsh comments due to our woke work culture, Emily can still deliver a biting one-liner.

By keeping the catty in catwalk, it is Emily’s performance that has once again caught the eye of critics.

The Sun’s movie reviewer Dulcie Pearce commented yesterday that “it’s Blunt who steals every scene.”

That will come as no surprise to fans, who have followed the star’s glittering movie career over the past two decades. She has received Bafta nominations for The Devil Wears Prada, psychological thriller The Girl On The Train and ­biopic drama Oppenheimer in 2024.

The actress also enjoyed box office hits with Mary Poppins Returns in 2018 and, in the same year, post-apocalyptic horror film A Quiet Place, which was directed by her husband John.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is expected to earn even more than the first film, with fans desperate to see the gang back together.

That is something Emily fully appreciates.

She concludes: “It feels like ­people really want to unite for something joyful. I love it.”

• The Devil Wears Prada 2 (12A) is in ­cinemas tomorrow.

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” opens like a knockoff of itself, with sight gags calling back to the mean quips in the 2006 hit: near-identical teal belts, a gala hailing the less-than-innovative theme “Spring Florals” and a red carpet that’s actually cerulean. Those belts, if you’ll remember, were the trigger for Meryl Streep’s Oscar-nominated speech about how her imperious fashion magazine editor in chief Miranda Priestly creates trends that trickle down to the rest of us rabble.

That first film (I’ll go ahead and anoint it a classic) followed a dowdy college graduate, Andy (Anne Hathaway), pursuing a low-level position at Runway magazine — Vogue in everything but name — as a bridge to a serious reporting career. Woe, said bridge is guarded by three trolls: fellow assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), tastemaker Nigel (Stanley Tucci) and the devil herself, Streep’s silver-haired Miranda, whose saintly last name is an ironic joke. Miranda is a riff on Vogue’s former editor in chief Anna Wintour, who used to be irritated by her caricature but eventually came around. After all, she’s getting played by Meryl Freaking Streep.

The setting was glam, the struggle relatable. Andy’s transition from sensible boots to stilettos served as a metaphor for the effort — even discomfort — it takes to chase your dreams, however they might evolve. “The Devil Wears Prada” gets celebrated for her makeover, with even Andy’s clueless boyfriend, played by Adrian Grenier, accusing her of caring about her Runway job solely for the shoes. No, it was never about the shoes. It was about respecting the workaholic she saw in the mirror.

The sequel, from returning director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, doesn’t find its own footing until it acknowledges that a Cinderella story about making it in journalism no longer fits. Gone are the days when Miranda and Nigel could casually tell their deep-pocketed publisher Irv (Tibor Feldman) that they’re junking a $300,000 photo shoot because it failed to reach their lofty standards. Likewise, Andy’s story starts when a magnate shutters her current job at a newspaper called the New York Vanguard, firing her and her colleagues for a $500-million tax write-off. (Cue the workers of at least one major Hollywood studio nodding in recognition.)

Hathaway’s Andy, smart and likable as ever, returns to a budget-slashed Runway as the features editor in charge of investigative pieces that online metrics reveal nobody reads — that is, until she breaks a celebrity engagement. Meanwhile, the internet has reduced Miranda to a meme. Her most recent viral scandal has gotten her animated into that Homer-Simpson-in-a-hedge GIF.

McKenna writes Miranda a self-aware scene where she acknowledges that her harsh reputation boosts her clout. Yet I wonder what Wintour will make of this diminished avatar pursuing the same promotion that she herself just claimed at Condé Nast as global head of content. After elevating custom couture to an art form, just the word “content” sounds like a demotion. Content is to prestige journalism what Shein is to Chanel.

Twenty years later, all of the money and power in publishing has been siphoned to the very, very rich. There seem to be as many billionaires in the script for “The Devil Wears Prada 2” as magazine assistants. Mighty Miranda must kowtow to the luxury brands and their ambassadors, whose sponsorship keeps Runway strutting, including the once-harried and humiliated Emily, who is now an executive at Dior. The tension is thicker than mink. The film franchise chooses to ignore original author Lauren Weisberger’s own 2013 follow-up novel “Revenge Wears Prada,” although I’d love to see a threequel that follows her lead and gives Blunt’s hilariously frosty Emily the center stage as she does in her third book, “When Life Gives You Lululemons.”

The storytelling is wonky, given the film’s competing needs to be Miranda-blunt about the modern magazine business while pairing marvelously with a glass of rosé. Instead of Paris, we’re now whisked to cameo-studded shindigs in the Hamptons and Milan, including a dinner party underneath Da Vinci’s mural of “The Last Supper.” (Not only is the painting’s topic apropos, Da Vinci himself butted heads with his wealthy patrons.) Much of the first half feels like we’re cooling our heels with the gang, waiting for a plot to start. There are a lot of idea threads that fray off and don’t go anywhere. Are we supposed to interpret anything from the fact that Miranda has succumbed to throwing a spring florals event — a theme she famously loathes — or are we just supposed to chuckle at the banner and move on? Also, no one in attendance is even wearing anything with flowers. Is the old gal slipping, or is the costume design?

Finally, things get going with a funeral — I won’t say whose, only that the death makes a fitting twist for an industry already getting the axe. Like Andy, I started writing for newspapers a few years after Craigslist decimated the classified page. My personal version of “The Devil Wears Prada” would be closer to a grindhouse flick. At least the Runway employees look killer at their own wake.

Twerpy MBAs force Miranda to fly coach. Of course you snicker — her character hasn’t gone past the first-class curtain since everyone onboard got served a hot meal and plenty of legroom. But there’s no schadenfreude watching her squeeze into a middle seat, no glee in her comeuppance. If Miranda Priestly can get thrown in steerage, we’re all screwed.

The movie is simultaneously more depressing than the original and more saccharine, with a repellent amount of affection between characters who should know better. Tucci’s endearingly steadfast Nigel is finally applauded for his years of service to Runway, and I was dismayed to find myself rolling my eyes at how corny the moment felt. Frankel and McKenna were geniuses to keep things callous on the first go-round, but they now add a romantic subplot between Andy and an Australian apartment contractor (Patrick Brammall) that detracts from the platonic workplace relationships — it’s fan service that I’m not sure fans actually want. Miranda, too, has found love again, and her new husband’s part is so small that I kept trying to convince myself that the actor couldn’t really be the great Kenneth Branagh..

Justin Theroux has a showier, funnier part as the billionaire Benji Barnes who, every time you see him, is holding court about another inane idea or giggling about how a civilization-destroying Pompeii disaster is on the horizon. Terrifyingly, he refers to “humans” in the third person, as if he no longer considers himself one of our species. Given the film’s interest in the figures gutting journalism and how his character’s ex-wife (Lucy Liu) refers to their marriage as being like “a rocket ship to a hall of mirrors,” he’s Jeff Bezos with a sprinkle of Elon Musk. It’s pointed timing, given that Bezos is sponsoring May’s Met Gala, wrapping the Wintour-chaired event in his brand like a giant cardboard box.

But enough about what “The Devil Wears Prada 2” has to say about the economy. How are the clothes? Aesthetically, I dug Andy and Miranda’s sleek menswear looks, lots of vests and blazers with panache. Narratively, their characters — a heroine and her nemesis — shouldn’t dress as though they could swap wardrobes. Then again, they’re here aligned as champions of art, beauty and the press, standing shoulder to shoulder in the all-but-hopeless fight to protect Runway from the philistines. The real devils wear Fitbits.

THE stars descended on London in force as they put their best fashion foot forward for the star-studded Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere.

Stars of the hit sequel as well as top British talent all turned up for the premiere of the hotly-anticipated film.

Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and TV presenter Laura Whitmore lead the line-up of stars out in force.

Tasha looked incredible as she rocked a daring red bodysuit.

The tight-fitted outfit showed off her curves and enviable pins.

The Strictly Come Dancing star looked immaculate as her blonde hair swooped down one shoulder.

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Making sure not to be missed, former Love Island host Laura Whitmore put her bare baby bump on display.

Laura exposed her expanding stomach in order to show it off in all of it’s glory.

She added a simple black top and a large skirt to ensure she was turning heads at the premiere.

Britian’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden also made sure to turn heads at the event.

Never one to turn down the chance to show off her age-defying looks, Amanda’s svelte figure was put on full display in a gorgeous black gown.

Featuring a tight-fitting design around her trim waist, complete with lace detail, the fishtail dress commanded attention on the carpet.

Movie star Anne Hathaway looked divine as she rocked a black number for the film’s celebrations.

The floor-length outfit featured buttons up her front as well as striking cut out details across her stomach and waist.

The dress’ train then ran all the way to the ground as she posed for waiting photgraphers on the red carpet.

Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep were also in attendance and both opted to wear red numbers.

Fashion-savvy Meryl rocked a long red trench coat over a silk cream shirt whilst Emily stunned in tight-fitting red trousers which she paired with a very unique corset-esque design which draped down to her feet.

Socialite Nicky Hilton also looked fantastic as she flashed her incredibly toned abs in a cut-out dress.

Her tiny waist was exposed in the summery number which also put her cleavage on full display.

Star of the flick Stanley Tucci was also in attendance as he posed alongside his cast mates on the red carpet.

Singer Jess Glynne also posed up a storm alongside her girlfriend, ex-footballer Alex Scott as The X Factor runner-up and singer Fleur East rocked a mini white suit

The stars of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” thrilled us with their bold fashion choices at the film’s world premiere in New York City on Monday night, the most recent stop in a press tour that began at the end of March. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt brought their A game, embracing method dressing without going overboard. Even Miranda Priestly would be proud.

While the film dons Prada’s name, Schiaparelli was among the go-to designers for the promo tour. From custom numbers to archival pieces, cast members, new and old, impressed in gowns that deserved center spreads in Runway. And there were no florals in sight.

Anne Hathaway attends “The Devil Wears Prada 2” world premiere in New York.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

During the film’s New York City premiere, Hathaway wore a devilish satin red gown. Designed by Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton, Hathaway’s tea-length dress was paired with dazzling jewels from Bulgari.

Lady Gaga attends “The Devil Wears Prada 2” world premiere at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in New York.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

Styled by sisters Chloe and Chenelle Delgadillo, Lady Gaga donned a black Saint Laurent gown from the fashion house’s fall 2016 collection. But Gaga really turned heads with her sparkling 7-carat earrings designed by Tiffany & Co.

Gaga has a cameo in the film, which director David Frankel told Vanity Fair was the “the worst-kept secret in showbiz.” The entertainer also wrote and recorded “Runway” with rapper Doechii for the sequel’s soundtrack.

Meryl Streep attends “The Devil Wears Prada 2” premiere on Monday.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

Streep paired her statement sunglasses with a Givenchy by Sarah Burton caped dress at the film’s New York City premiere. The sweeping red dress included elegant black gloves that matched her Stuart Weitzman heels.

Emily Blunt attends “The Devil Wears Prada 2” world premiere in New York.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

Emily Blunt wore a dress from the Schiaparelli spring 2026 line. The dress’ structured bodice gave way into tulle skirt, with the fabric’s warm tone contrasting Blunt’s dark red lip. The bustier was covered in 25,000 silk thread feathers, which required roughly 4,000 hours of work.

Simone Ashley attends “The Devil Wears Prada 2” world premiere at David Geffen Hall in New York.

(Evan Agostini / Invision / AP)

“Bridgerton” star Simone Ashley made her “Devil Wears Prada” debut in a vintage high-low Prada dress. Styled by Rebecca Corbin-Murray, she paired the chartreuse dress with marching diamonds. Ashley plays Amari Mari, Miranda’s first assistant in the film.

Meryl Streep promotes “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in Seoul.

(Ahn Young-joon / AP)

Streep wore a custom Prada power suit and David Yurman jewels while promoting the film in Seoul.

Anne Hathaway on the red carpet to promote “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in Seoul.

(Ahn Young-joon / AP)

During the film’s premiere in Seoul, Hathaway donned a red leather Balenciaga number. Dressed by stylist Erin Walsh, the oversize jacket contrasted with her pencil skirt, and the look was tied together with Hathaway’s sleek ponytail.

Meryl Streep attends the “The Devil Wears Prada 2” premiere at Anahuacalli Museum in Mexico City.

(Angel Delgado / Getty Images for Disney)

During the press tour’s kickoff in Mexico City, Streep — styled by Micaela Erlanger — donned a long, belted navy blue Schiaparelli dress.

Anne Hathaway promotes “The Devil Wears Prada 2” on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.”

(Scott Kowalchyk / CBS)

For an appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Hathaway wore vintage Versace.

ACTRESS Anne Hathaway steals the show in a red dress at the US premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2 — but Sydney Sweeney was a no-show after her scenes were cut.

Anne, 43 — who wore a custom Louis Vuitton gown — was joined by co-stars Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci for the screening.

British Bridgerton star Simone Ashley was also there, along with Lady Gaga, who worked on the music for the film and makes a cameo appearance.

But Euphoria star Sydney, 28, skipped the premiere in New York.

She had been pictured on set last year.

Sources said she shot a scene in which she played herself being dressed by Emily’s character Emily Charlton.

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However, it did not make the final cut as it was felt it did not work with the rest of the storyline.

The film’s stars are due back on the red carpet in London’s Leicester Square this evening for the European premiere.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 comes 20 years after the original, in which Anne played aspiring journalist Andy Sachs working for cruel magazine editor Miranda Priestly, played by Streep,

Anne has previously spoken about how it changed her career.

She said: “This film opened so many doors for me, and it gave me so many opportunities.

“It became this anchor for how audiences responded to me, and let me take a lot more risks and make a lot of weird choices in my career, because I have this warm hug to come back to.”

ANNA Wintour showed there’s no bad blood when it comes to how she was portrayed in the hit 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada as she teamed up with leading lady Anne Hathaway during Sunday night’s Oscars.

Attending the 98th annual awards bash, which was held at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, the former Vogue Editor-In-Chief took to the stage to present the Best Costume Design gong alongside Anne.

The Devil Wears Prada famously featured Meryl Streep as a scathing magazine editor, a role largely inspired by Wintour’s professional reputation.

And while the film, based on the 2003 novel of the same name, didn’t paint the character in a glowing light, it seems Anna holds no grudges.

Taking to the stage with Anne, the pair performed a hilarious spoof in apparent promotion of the upcoming Devil Wears Prada 2 coming out in May.

As Anne spoke about the importance of costume and fashion in movies, and in real life, she turned to Anna to ask what the fashion powerhouse thought of her ensemble for the awards show.

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Placing her famously oversized sunglasses on, Anna simply replied: “And the nominees are.”

When the pair returned to the stage, Anna hilariously said, “Thank you, Emily,” while addressing Anne.

The moment was a nod to the film’s character Emily, who is the long-suffering assistant to Meryl Streep, portrayed with Emily Blunt.

Despite it being widely accepted that Meryl’s role was based on Anna and her reign at Vogue, the latter failed to share her thoughts on the movie for almost a decade.

Who won on Hollywood’s biggest night?

One Battle After Another ran away with the night with six Oscars, while Sinners, which was nominated for a record-breaking 16 awards, came away with four. See the full winners list below:

Best Picture: One Battle After Another

Best Actress: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons

Supporting Actor: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

Directing: One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson

Adapted Screenplay: One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson

Original Screenplay: Sinners, Ryan Coogler

Documentary Feature: Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Documentary Short: All the Empty Rooms

Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters

Animated Short: The Girl Who Cried Pearls

Cinematography: Sinners, Autumn Durald Arkapaw

Costume Design: Frankenstein, Kate Hawley

Film Editing: One Battle After Another, Andy Jurgensen

International Feature: Sentimental Value – Norway

Life Action Short: 

The Singers (TIED)

Two People Exchanging Saliva (TIED)

Makeup and Hairstyling: Frankenstein, Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey

Original Score: Sinners, Ludwig Goransson

Original Song: Golden, KPop Demon Hunters

Production Design: Frankenstein, Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau

Sound: F1, Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta

Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett

Casting: One Battle After Another, Cassandra Kulukundis

In 2025, she finally revealed her thoughts on the film.

She said: “I found it highly enjoyable. It was very funny. Miuccia [Prada] and I talk about it a lot, and I say to her: ‘Well, it was really good for you.’“

Anna added that the film “had a lot of humour to it.”

She said: “It had a lot of wit. It had Meryl Streep. I mean, it was Emily Blunt, [and] they were all amazing. In the end, I thought it was a fair shot.”