Twenty years after ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ first opened its doors to the glamorous and cut-throat world of fashion publishing, writer Aline Brosh McKenna is back revisiting the iconic universe. This time around, 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 conversation with ETimes, the aclaimed writer opens up about why the sequel ditches couture for chaos as she shines a light on the ever-changing landscape of journalism, fashion and celebrity culture. While the decades may have changed much, she shared her excitement on reuniting with leading ladies Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt.While the sequel leaves the door tantalisingly open for another chapter, McKenna admits the future of the Prada universe may ultimately depend on one thing Hollywood understands best – box office numbers. Excerpts:Twenty years ago, ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ opened the doors into the worlds of journalism and fashion, and now, here we are again with Andy getting laid off in such a brutally modern way. Why was it important to begin the story there instead of easing audiences back into glamour first?Well, a lot of the inspiration for this movie was to show how things have changed and how challenging the world of journalism has become. And it’s really all three of the businesses – journalism, fashion, publishing – all have been dealing with such significant challenges. And so I wanted to sort of get right off the bat the feeling that at any minute, you know, things can just disappear. Cultural institutions, newspapers, magazines, TV networks, businesses, you know, just can disappear like that. And I think it’s something that’s happening to everyone in a lot of different fields. So I think a lot of people who watch the film and watch that scene have experienced something very much like that.Did you consciously want the sequel to reflect the anxiety of the modern world?Yeah, I think that was sort of the reason we wanted to go back and revisit this world, because we sort of imagined the challenges that these people would be dealing with. And it felt like it would be really, really interesting to see how Miranda deals in a world where the reputation of the magazine, her reputation, is not as set in stone as it was. Everything has changed. Cultural institutions are just a lot more precarious. And so it always struck us as funny in the intervening years to think about how Miranda would be dealing with these challenges.Did writing the film ever feel like documenting the death of a certain era of publishing? How did you balance those themes without becoming preachy?It’s about the humans. I think it’s a very human story. It definitely reflects on what’s happening with institutions. But really, it’s a story about characters and relationships. And I think we got a chance to go a little deeper and to explore their relationships with each other a little further. And it’s always good to explore relationships under duress. And they’re facing common challenges, so it brings them together, even as you see that they still – all of the four lead characters – have a very different way of approaching the world.What was it like stepping back into this world and reuniting with actors like Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt?They’re the greatest. They’re wonderful to work with. They’re some of the most professional and talented people. I’m not breaking any news by telling you that. I always feel honoured that I get 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 on it together on set. Every movie is a different workplace. And the Prada world is one of my favourite workplaces, one of the favourite places I’ve ever worked.In today’s world of influencers, algorithms and social media, who do you think really holds power in fashion and media now? Are influencers the new superstars?Well, you know, I think we’re seeing that there is still some room for the traditional gatekeepers, but it’s definitely spread out a lot over different fields and people’s opinions. Now they can just put them right online for everyone to see. I mean, there are so many ways to do it – YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook – numerous social media outlets. And so in a world of so many voices, I do think people look for voices that they can listen to. And I think younger people have a much broader array of folks that they listen to. And, you know, it’s really hard to get a purchase in a world where the opinion makers are shifting so much. So all of the designers, everybody in these fields, has had to be a lot more nimble to figure out who’s really being listened to.Do you think audiences today are looking for more honesty in films? Has writing become harder in the age of political correctness and constant social media scrutiny?We definitely have a lot more voices weighing in on a movie. But I think we’ve all enjoyed the interaction with viewers and fans over the last 20 years. We certainly learned a lot about the first movie from people responding to it. And it’s been really interesting to see how people respond to this movie. What I think is wonderful is that we still want these big events that bring everybody together.You could just feel that everybody is excited to go to the movies and people have been bringing, you know, 10 friends, 20 friends, 40 friends to the movies or having a birthday party at the theatre. It feels like a celebration of just going to the movies in general.And so that has really been thrilling. And you can’t ever predict when that’s going to happen. But people are really showing up to view something all together. And that’s really wonderful.The cameos and casting choices in this film feel even bigger and bolder. At what point did you realise the sequel itself had become part of fashion mythology?Well, as soon as we started shooting, there were people running down the street chasing the production. So right away, we could tell that there was a lot of interest, just people on the street. And I have certainly never, ever experienced that. People were excited to see the actors, they were excited to see these characters again. And that’s when we started to get a sense of the fact that people were excited to catch up with these folks and see what they had been doing.Indian filmmaker Karan Johar has praised the film, and legendary actress Rekha has also spoken warmly about it. How does it feel seeing the story resonate across cultures, generations and age groups?So this movie plays really well internationally, so did the first movie. People around the world are interested in it. 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 a very international world. Designers from all over the world are really thriving. And I think we all know a lot more designers than we used to.And it’s really been wonderful to see it connect with audiences all around the world, as did the first movie.I also noticed a much more inclusive and international ensemble this time, including actors like Simone Ashley. Was that an active creative choice?It really reflects the world. It is actually quite a diverse world and has become more so. Fashion is something that attracts people from all over the world and all types of people. And I think it’s a refuge and a thrill for all different types of folks. And so getting to assemble that cast was really such a thrill. And I think we were really lucky to find very intelligent actors who fit really well into that world.The film is doing exceptionally well at the box office, and the sequel definitely leaves audiences wanting more. Do you personally see this as the end of Andy’s story, or could there be a third film, hopefully with a shorter wait this time?Well, it can’t be a longer wait time because then we won’t be here. We’re sort of taking one step at a time and excited to see the response that we’re getting. I would work with this cast and this team of people anytime. So we’re taking it one step at a time.Do the box office numbers make the possibility of a third film more realistic?I mean, it helps. It certainly helps us feel like maybe there’s an audience for extending the story. But just as in this movie, there’s a lot of elements that need to come together. And since we’ve only been out for two weeks, I think everyone’s taking it one step at a time.As the film sees Runway Magazine going digital, would the film’s team ever consider a direct digital release for a possible third film?Oh, you mean instead of theatrical? I don’t know. We’re not talking about that yet. But the first movie obviously is available digitally. And I think this movie (The Devil Wears Prada 2) is going to be available digitally in the fall.
