As Andy receives an unexpected offer from Irv Ravitz to return to Runway magazine, the stakes rise when her former boss, Miranda Priestly, portrayed by Meryl Streep, is less than pleased with this development. Chris and Jessica discuss the renewed tension between the two, now on more equal footing, and how Emily Charlton, played by Emily Blunt, adds friction as a senior executive at Dior.
The hosts delve into the supporting cast, including Stanley Tucci's Nigel, who remains a steadfast ally, and the new faces like Kenneth Branagh and Justin Theroux, whose characters bring fresh dynamics to the narrative. Lucy Liu's role as a billionaire philanthropist and Patrick Brammell as Andy's new love interest further enrich the storyline.
With much of the original filmmaking team returning, Chris and Jessica highlight how the sequel maintains the charm and visual splendor of its predecessor. While some critiques suggest the script may feel predictable, the hosts argue that the heart of the film lies in the characters and their interactions.
Scoring a solid 7.5 out of 10, this episode invites listeners to experience *The Devil Wears Prada 2*, a delightful blend of nostalgia and fresh storytelling that promises to entertain fans old and new. Join Chris and Jessica as they unpack the layers of this much-anticipated sequel and what it means for the beloved characters we've grown to adore.
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Chris: Okay, so here's something to think about.
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 Two decades after one of the most iconic
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 workplace comedies hit the big screen. The
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 characters are back, and they're facing
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 challenges that feel more relevant than ever.
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 Jessica: That's a great setup. You're talking about
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 the Devil Wears Prada too, right? I mean,
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 the original was such a cultural moment.
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 Blunt, Stanley Tucci. It's hard to imagine
00:00:26 --> 00:00:27 a sequel living up to that.
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 Chris: Exactly. And yet, here we are.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 The sequel brings back all those familiar
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 faces. But it's not just a nostalgia trip.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 It's set in a world that's changed
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 dramatically since the first film. And the
00:00:40 --> 00:00:41 stakes feel higher this time around.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 Jessica: So let's dive into it. Where does the story
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 pick up? I know Andy Sachs, played by Anne
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 Hathaway. Has moved on from her assistant
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 days. But what's she up to now?
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 Chris: Well, Andy's come a long way since her time
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 at Runway. She's now a respected journalist
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 working for a major publication. But here's
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 the twist. Just as she's being honored at an
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 awards ceremony. She and her colleagues are
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 blindsided by layoffs. It's a brutal
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 reminder of how much the journalism industry
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 has shifted in the digital age.
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 Jessica: That's such a timely storyline. The
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 decline of print media, the rise of online
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 platforms. It's something we've seen play out
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 in real life. So what happens next for
00:01:25 --> 00:01:25 Andy?
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 Chris: Just when she thinks her career is in
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 freefall. She gets a call from an unexpected
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 source. Irv Ravitz, the chairman of
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 Runway magazine. He offers her a lifeline.
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 A chance to come back to Runway, which is now
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 an online only publication, as the new
00:01:42 --> 00:01:43 features editor.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 Jessica: And let me guess. Miranda Priestley, played
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 by Meryl Streep, is less than thrilled about
00:01:49 --> 00:01:49 this development?
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 Chris: Oh, you could say that. Miranda has no
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 idea Andy's been hired until it's already a
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 done deal. And she's not exactly rolling out
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 the welcome mat. Their dynamic is just as
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 tense and layered as it was in the first
00:02:03 --> 00:02:03 film.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 But now they're on more equal footing, which
00:02:06 --> 00:02:07 makes things even more interesting.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 Jessica: That sounds like a recipe for some serious
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 drama. And what about Emily Charlton,
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 played by Emily Blunt? She was such a
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 standout in the original. What's her role in
00:02:18 --> 00:02:19 the sequel?
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 Chris: Emily's back, and she's now a senior
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 executive at Dior, one of Runway's key
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 advertisers. This puts her in direct contact
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 with Andy. And, um, let's just say their
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 relationship hasn't exactly thawed over the
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 years. They're forced to work together, but
00:02:35 --> 00:02:36 there's plenty of friction.
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 Jessica: That's such a great setup.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 And then there's Stanley Tucci's character,
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 Nigel Kipling. He was always the voice of
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 reason in the first film. And is he still in
00:02:46 --> 00:02:47 Andy's corner?
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 Chris: Absolutely. Nigel is one of the few people
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 Andy can count on. And Stanley Tucci brings
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 his usual charm and wit to the role. He's the
00:02:56 --> 00:02:57 kind of character who can cut through the
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 chaos with a single well timed remark.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 Jessica: It sounds like the core cast is firing on all
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 cylinders, but what about the new additions?
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 I know Kenneth Branagh and Justin Theroux are
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 part of the ensemble now and how do they fit
00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 into the story?
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 Chris: Kenneth Branagh plays Miranda's husband
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 Stuart, and he's one of the few people who
00:03:18 --> 00:03:19 truly understands her.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 Then there's Justin Theroux as Benji Barnes,
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 Emily's tech entrepreneur boyfriend. He's a
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 bit over the top, but he adds some fun energy
00:03:27 --> 00:03:28 to the mix.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 Jessica: And I heard Lucy Liu is in it too. She plays
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 Benji's ex wife. Right. A, uh, billionaire
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 philanthropist, if I'm not mistaken.
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 Chris: That's right. Lucy Liu's character Sasha
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 adds another layer of intrigue to the story.
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 And, uh, let's not forget Patrick Brammell,
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 who plays Andy's new love interest Peter.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 He's a property developer, which is a bit of
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 a departure from her previous relationships.
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 Jessica: It sounds like the filmmakers really went all
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 out with the casting. And speaking of the
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 filmmakers, I heard a lot of the original
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 team return for this sequel. That must have
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 helped maintain the tone and style of the
00:04:04 --> 00:04:05 first film.
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 Chris: Definitely. Screenwriter Aline Broche
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 McKenna, cinematographer Florian Ballhaus,
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 director David Frankel and producer Wendy
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 Feinerman are all back. Their involvement
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 ensures that the sequel feels like a natural
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 continuation of the original.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 Jessica: That's so important, especially for a film
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 like this, where the tone and style are such
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 a big part of its appeal. And from what I've
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 read, the visuals are just as stunning as
00:04:31 --> 00:04:32 they were in the first movie.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 Chris: Oh, absolutely. The cinematography is
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 gorgeous and the fashion is as jaw dropping
00:04:39 --> 00:04:39 as ever.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 It's a feast for the eyes, which is exactly
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 what you'd expect from a film set in the
00:04:44 --> 00:04:45 world of high fashion.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 Jessica: But M, what about the script? I've heard some
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 mixed reviews. People saying it's a bit
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 contrived. Does that take away from the
00:04:53 --> 00:04:54 overall experience?
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 Chris: Not really. The script might be a little
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 predictable at times, but. But it's really
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 just a vehicle for the interactions between
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 these incredible characters. And those
00:05:04 --> 00:05:05 interactions are what people are here for.
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 The sharp one liners the witty banter, the
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 moments of genuine emotion.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 Jessica: That makes sense. So what's the verdict?
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 Is this sequel a worthy follow up to the
00:05:16 --> 00:05:16 original?
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 Chris: I'd say so. It's not perfect, but it's a lot
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 of fun, and it gives fans a chance to revisit
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 a world they fell in love with.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 It's rated M and scores a solid seven and a
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 half out of ten. For anyone who loved the
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 first film, it's definitely worth a watch.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 Jessica: That's good to hear. It sounds like the
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 perfect mix of nostalgia and fresh
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 storytelling. And really, who wouldn't want
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 to spend a couple of hours with Meryl Streep,
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley
00:05:44 --> 00:05:45 Tucci?
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 Chris: Exactly. It's a delightful escape,
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 and sometimes that's exactly what we need.