Meryl Streep Returned for The Devil Wears Prada 2 On One Non-Negotiable Condition

Let me be honest: I never thought we’d ever get a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, and apparently, neither did anyone involved. For years, Meryl Streep swore off sequels entirely. ('I’m not doing it,' she once said flat-out.) So, if you’re wondering why Miranda Priestly is actually striding back into Runway after 20 years, it comes down to a pretty interesting negotiation—and one big creative shift.

How They Got Meryl Back in Prada

The long and short of it? Streep only signed on after the filmmakers—director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna—convinced her they were bringing something genuinely new to the table. This wasn’t about nostalgia, it was about actually having something to say. Frankel put it plainly: the script for the sequel didn’t rehash old ground. Instead, it tackled how the magazine world (and pretty much every other industry) has spun on its axis since 2006. There was, apparently, no way Streep would have played Miranda again unless the material was sharp—and actually justified her return.

'I think Aline came in with a great vision for the second movie, and it was inspiring to me,' Frankel said. He added that Streep saw the opportunity to say 'something completely new about these characters and about the world that they inhabit.'

Like most of Hollywood, McKenna admitted she had publicly shot down the idea of a sequel on multiple occasions—she even joked she’d said no as recently as 2021. But fast forward, and the rapid overhaul of the fashion and publishing worlds (thanks, internet) basically gave everyone a real reason to take another swing.

Quick Sidebar: Meryl Nearly Turned Down the First Film

Here’s a gem for the trivia crowd: Streep didn’t just hesitate on the sequel; she almost skipped the original movie, too. On the podcast Open Book with Jenna, she shared that her first reaction to being offered Miranda Priestly in 2006 was to say 'No, I'm not going to do it.' Why? She knew her value, saw that the script had potential, and decided to gamble—she literally doubled her asking price just to see what would happen. They agreed without blinking.

Streep also revealed she was even considering retirement back then. Her exact words: 'I'm 56 years old, it took me this long to understand that I could do that.' To be fair, you can pull these moves when you’re Meryl Streep.

The Sequel: Who’s Involved and When It Hits

• Title: The Devil Wears Prada 2
• Starring: Yes, Meryl Streep is back as Miranda Priestly
• Director: David Frankel returned to the chair
• Screenwriter: Aline Brosh McKenna wrote both movies
• Release Date: The sequel hit theaters May 1, 2026
• Box Office (Original): Over $326 million worldwide

So, for anyone keeping score: it took a seismic shift in the real world, a killer new script, and Streep-friendly negotiating to pull this off. If you’re surprised, honestly, so were they.