Aline Brosh McKenna talks bringing ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ to life

Aline Brosh McKenna has opened up about the long road to bringing The Devil Wears Prada 2 to life, revealing that securing Meryl Streep’s “excitement” was the turning point for the long-awaited sequel.

The screenwriter admitted she was initially hesitant about revisiting the 2006 hit, describing the idea of a sequel as a “dangerously narrow runway to walk.”

However, her perspective shifted once Streep expressed openness to returning as Miranda Priestly.

“Meryl’s opinion is enormously important,” McKenna said during an appearance on The Hollywood Reporter podcast I’m Having an Episode. She explained that once Streep showed interest, development accelerated quickly.

“When she said she would be open to hearing some ideas, by that point, we had accumulated a lot of them,” McKenna added.

McKenna, whose credits include 27 Dresses and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, said the sequel was shaped by changes across industries such as journalism, fashion and publishing.

Reflecting on the passage of time, she questioned how the original characters would function in a world that has evolved significantly over the past two decades.

“The world has just changed so much in 20 years,” she said, adding that shifting workplace values and business models helped inform the updated storyline.

She also revealed she reached out to director David Frankel as ideas developed, but stressed that finding a concept that excited Streep remained central throughout the process.

McKenna described finally discussing the project with Streep as a pivotal moment, calling the timing “kismet” after revisiting the original film together in a theatre setting.