The Devil Wears Prada: True Story, Cast & Sequel Rumors

Few things unite movie fans and fashion lovers quite like The Devil Wears Prada. Nearly 20 years after its release, the film still sparks curiosity about the real magazine world that inspired it and the off‑screen dynamics of its cast. This guide sorts fact from fiction, tracks the latest sequel buzz, and answers the questions that keep popping up online.

Release year: 2006 · Director: David Frankel · Box office: $326 million · Rotten Tomatoes: 75% · IMDb rating: 6.9/10 · Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt

Six key numbers capture how The Devil Wears Prada was received and produced.

What is the true story behind The Devil Wears Prada?

Inspiration from Anna Wintour

• Miranda Priestly is the character most often linked to Vogue editor Anna Wintour in media coverage (CBS Mornings via YouTube)
• The film’s fashion‑magazine setting is a fictional construct, not a documentary portrait (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Wintour has never publicly confirmed that Miranda is based on her, but the association has persisted since the book’s publication. The fictional editor is often described as a composite: demanding, sharp, and brilliant at her job, but the magazine world on screen is an exaggerated version of real fashion publishing.

Lauren Weisberger’s experience as an assistant

• Author Lauren Weisberger worked as an assistant to Anna Wintour at Vogue before writing the novel (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
• Her novel is widely understood to be loosely inspired by that experience (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Weisberger joined Vogue as a personal assistant in 1999 and stayed for about a year. She has said the book is fiction, but the high‑pressure environment and the figure of a demanding editor‑in‑chief draw heavily on her real months inside the Condé Nast building.

Differences between the novel and the film

• The screenplay was written by Aline Brosh McKenna (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
• The film softens several characters and adds a less cynical ending compared to the novel

The film adaptation condenses the timeline, changes Andy’s motivation (in the novel she actively pursues a journalism career), and gives Miranda a brief show of vulnerability. The core dynamic – a young assistant scrambling to please an impossible boss – remains intact.

Is there a Devil Wears Prada 2?

Current status of the sequel

• No official sequel has been announced by Disney or 20th Century Studios (CBS Mornings via YouTube)
• Reports in 2024 suggested a sequel was in early development with original producers (Esquire UK)

As of early 2025, there is no greenlight, no script announcement, and no release date. The project remains in “development” status, which means it could move forward or stall.

What the sequel might be about

• The story is set about 20 years after the original, with Miranda still at the centre (CBS Mornings via YouTube)
• Andy is reportedly back as a features editor, and Emily has become a senior executive at a luxury house (Esquire UK)
• The plot involves a potential sale of the fictional publisher Elias Clarke to a billionaire with vanity projects (Esquire UK)

The sequel is not based on Weisberger’s later novels Revenge Wears Prada or When Life Gives You Lululemons, according to a fan‑wiki summary (Devil Wears Prada Fandom).

Official announcements and rumors

Meryl Streep has said she would be open to returning if the script is right (CBS Mornings via YouTube). No cast deals are confirmed. The only certainty is that the original producer Wendy Finerman is involved in early talks.

The pattern: Speculation runs ahead of facts. Until a studio makes a formal announcement, everything else is rumor.

What actress turned down Devil Wears Prada?

Rachel McAdams as the original choice for Andrea Sachs

• Rachel McAdams was offered the role of Andy but turned it down (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
• McAdams reportedly declined because of scheduling conflicts and concerns about the demanding film schedule

At the time, McAdams was coming off the success of The Notebook and Mean Girls. She chose other projects, and the role went to Anne Hathaway, who was just beginning her transition from family films to adult roles.

Other actresses considered for the role

Kate Hudson and Kirsten Dunst were also among those considered during early casting, but no formal offers were reported for them. The main takeaway is that the casting change did not hurt the film: Hathaway earned a Golden Globe nomination for the part.

Did Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway get along?

On‑screen chemistry versus real‑life relationship

• Both actresses have said they got along well during filming (Esquire UK reports that Blunt described Hathaway as “incredible and generous”)
• Their characters’ rivalry is fictional; the two were friendly on set

Hathaway has said in interviews that she and Blunt “hit it off immediately.” Blunt later called Hathaway a “wonderful actress” and noted that the shoot was always professional and warm.

How their friendship evolved after the film

They have not worked together on another project, but they have spoken warmly of each other in interviews over the years. Both have publicly shown support for each other’s careers, and there is no record of any personal friction.

The implication: The on‑screen tension was pure performance. The real off‑screen dynamic was cooperative and supportive.

Who is the actual villain of The Devil Wears Prada?

Miranda Priestly as an antagonist

Miranda is the obvious candidate: cold, dismissive, and willing to destroy competitors to protect her position. She humiliates Andy in front of colleagues, sets impossible tasks, and shows no gratitude. Yet the film also gives her moments of vulnerability that complicate a simple “villain” label.

The role of the fashion industry system

The movie suggests that the real antagonism comes from the culture of high fashion itself: the impossible beauty standards, the ruthless competition, the indifference to personal life. Miranda is a product of that system, not its sole cause.

Andy’s own choices and growth

Andy becomes complicit in the values she initially rejects – she competes ruthlessly for a Paris trip and adopts the fashion world’s priorities. The final scene (leaving Runway) is a redemption, but the question remains: was the villain Miranda, or the ambition that Andy herself embraced?

What this means: The “villain” is ambiguous by design. Miranda fits the archetype, but the movie’s power comes from leaving the answer open.

Bottom line: The Devil Wears Prada remains a cultural touchstone because it mixes reality and fiction in a way that feels authentic. For fans waiting for a sequel, the decision is clear: keep an eye on Disney’s development slate, but don’t expect a release before an official greenlight – and even then, the film may look very different from the rumors.