The Devil Wears Prada 2 is in the works, and it will avoid a mistake made by a previous Meryl Streep sequel. The Devil Wears Prada screenwriter, Aline Brosh McKenna, is set to write the sequel, and although casting details are not yet confirmed, early indications suggest that Streep will reprise her role as Miranda Priestly, Runway magazine’s editor-in-chief.

In 2018, Streep returned for a different sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. However, the musical rom-com made a controversial decision to kill Streep’s character, Donna Sheridan, and dramatically reduce her role. Thankfully, The Devil Wears Prada 2 appears to be taking a different approach.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 Won’t Sideline Meryl Streep Like Mamma Mia 2 Did

It Seems The Devil Wears Prada Sequel Will Avoid Mamma Mia 2’s Critical Error

One of the biggest criticisms of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was the absence of Streep’s character for the majority of the movie. The sequel heavily relied on flashbacks and the presence of new characters to fill the void left by Streep’s conspicuous omission. The film tried to develop Sheridan’s character through these flashbacks, but killing her off and only bringing Streep back for the musical number at the end took away from the emotional pay-off with her daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), and the movie suffered for it.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 will have to learn from this misstep and ensure that Priestly remains at the forefront of the narrative. Luckily, early The Devil Wears Prada 2 story details indicate that the follow-up film is expected to see Priestly nearing retirement and struggling to keep her dying magazine afloat amid the modern-day collapse of print media. By keeping Streep’s role central to the plot in this way, the sequel will certainly maintain the dynamic that made the first film so captivating.

Meryl Streep’s Devil Wears Prada 2 Role Is Exactly What The Sequel Needs

The Sequel Could Work Without Anne Hathaway, But Not Without Streep

Streep’s portrayal of Priestly is nothing short of iconic. Her performance in The Devil Wears Prada cemented the character as one of the most memorable in modern cinema. As such, Priestly will need to have a significant presence for the sequel to work and recapture the magic of the first film.

While unclear at this point, Anne Hathaway may not return to The Devil Wears Prada 2 and reprise her role of Andy Sachs. However, the nature of her character arc in the first film means that she isn’t as integral as Streep in the sequel. The film could work just as well without Hathaway and leave her with just a walk-on cameo appearance. Yet without Streep, The Devil Wears Prada 2 would be missing the core driving force behind its narrative.