Compared to other book-to-screen adaptations, The Devil Wears Prada is fairly faithful to the source, but there are still several ways the iconic movie differs. Based on the 2003 novel of the same name by author Lauren Weisberger, the 2006 movie starring Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, and Emily Blunt has only grown in popularity in the 18 years since its release. These actors gave excellent performances, and combined with the chaotic story from Weisberger, it’s no wonder The Devil Wears Prada became a hit.
In all, the Devil Wears Prada movie is quite similar to the novel. The basic premise is the same, as are most of the character’s names. The book still follows a woman named Andy (Andrea) who finds herself working at one of the most prestigious fashion magazines in New York City under the feared and respected Miranda Priestly—a job many would die for. Of course, Andy doesn’t appreciate the job as much as she should until it ultimately consumes her, rewrites her personality and moral compass, and tears apart her relationships. Still, there are some things the Devil Wears Prada movie did change.
The Devil Wears Prada Cast: Where They Are Now
Besides being one of the defining comedies of the 2000s, The Devil Wears Prada featured an illustrious cast of big names and soon-to-be stars.
8 Andy’s Personality Is Very Different In The Devil Wears Prada Book
Anne Hathaway’s character was far softer than her book counterpart.
Hathaway’s version of Andy is relatively sweet, if not a little ignorant and judgemental of the fashion world. Still, she is light, airy, capable, determined, and highly likable. This wasn’t precisely how the Devil Wears Prada book described the character. Not only was Andy blonde in the novel (rather than Hathaway’s trademark brunette), but she was far edgier—frequently smoking cigarettes, speaking her mind, and passing fierce judgment on those around her. She was still likable, but it can be difficult to align the book and movie Andy as the same person.
7 The Devil Wears Prada Movie Cut Lily’s Alcoholism & Car Accident
Lily was a more prominent character in the Devil Wears Prada book.
In the Devil Wears Prada movie, Andy’s friend Lily (Tracie Thoms) was pretty much the worst—next to Andy’s boyfriend Nate, that is. She is pretentious and inconsiderate, contributing nothing to her friendship with the protagonist. While Book-Lily had problems, she was by no means an unkind or arrogant person. Throughout the book, she struggled with Alcoholism, and Andy’s compassion for her friend lessened as she became more immersed in working for Miranda. Ultimately, Andy’s lack of care after Lily is in a car accident makes her realize that she is changing for the worse.
6 Andy’s Boyfriend Isn’t Quite So Terrible In The Book
Andy’s boyfriend, Nate, is often called the real villain of the Devil Wears Prada movie.
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Andy’s boyfriend in the Devil Wears Prada movie, Nate, has gone down in infamy as the movie’s true villain. However, his book counterpart was far kinder and more patient. Rather than getting mad at Andy for simply taking her job seriously, it isn’t until his girlfriend begins actively chasing her career over him that he gets frustrated. Even then, Nate (whose name was Alex in the book) stuck it out for as long as he could. Ultimately, this meant that readers were more on his side than Andy’s (rather than the other way around, like in the movie).
5 The Devil Wears Prada Movie Cut Miranda’s Backstory
Miranda had a more detailed backstory in the Devil Wears Prada book.
The part of Miranda Priestly was fittingly made a little more significant for the Devil Wears Prada movie, where Streep turned the character into an icon. The book dived less into what the villainous editor and chief was going through in the present (with her divorce and horrible children), but it put a lot more attention on her backstory. It was ultimately revealed that Miranda had grown up in poverty as part of an Orthodox Jewish family but fought her way into the fashion world through her ambition and never looked back. It’s undoubtedly a valuable touch to assist in understanding the titular character.
4 Stanley Tucci’s Devil Wears Prada Character Is A Mix Of 2 Book Characters
The Devil Wears Prada movie combined two characters named Nigel and James.
Stanley Tucci is the heart and soul of the Devil Wears Prada movie. Not only is he the gentle but no-nonsense shoulder for Andy to cry on, but it’s only because Miranda betrays Nigel that it becomes clear how despicable the woman really is. However, in the book, this is the work of two characters. On the page, Nigel is Runway‘s creative director and friend to Miranda, whom she ultimately betrays. Then, a character named James from the beauty department is the one who befriends Andy. Tucci’s character is a clever combination of both.
3 Emily Is A Little Kinder In the Devil Wears Prada Book
Emily takes a while to soften up in the Devil Wears Prada movie.
The reluctant friendship that forms between Emily and Andy in The Devil Wears Prada is another high point of the movie, and though the same is true (to a point) in the book, there are far fewer ups and downs. In the film, Emily is a bit of a bully toward Andy when she first starts, only lightening up when she realizes that she is competent and able to assimilate into the fashion world. However, Emily was never so unkind in the book. Though she wasn’t going to baby Andy and make her job any easier than it really was, Emily was empathetic and didn’t try to make things worse.
10 Notable Differences Between The Devil Wears Prada Musical & Movie
Whether it is the fashion industry overall or Andy’s characterization, The Devil Wears Prada musical is very different from the movie.
2 Andy Is More Cut-Throat At The End Of The Movie
Andy didn’t become quite as selfish in the Devil Wears Prada book.
In the movie, Andy more or less went behind Emily’s back and benefitted in that she could accompany Miranda to Fashion Week in Paris. This wound up being the action that showed just how much the fashion industry was changing the protagonist and what showed Miranda that her assistant was a lot like she had been when she was younger. However, since this took the place of Lily’s car accident in the movie, it wasn’t a feature of the Devil Wears Prada book, where Andy had no choice but to take Emily’s place.
1 Andy’s Ending In The Devil Wears Prada Book Isn’t So Happy
Everything didn’t work out as perfectly as in the Devil Wears Prada movie.
Though she had to learn some hard lessons in the The Devil WearsPrada movie, things worked out okay for Andy in the end. She got back together with Nate, got her dream job thanks to a surprise raving reference from Miranda Priestly, and walked away from her experience at Runway with few real consequences. However, the book version of events was meant far more as a cautionary tale.
Though Andy repaired her relationship with Lily and set out for a new journey, her relationship with her boyfriend was beyond fixing. The falling-out with Miranda had been far more public in the The Devil Wears Prada book, and the result of this was that Andy had become something of a celebrity within the industry, leading her to believe she had been blacklisted. Andy’s ending was far more ambiguous on the page, with the final moments seeing her catch a glance at Miranda’s new assistant. Ultimately, the TheDevil Wears Prada movie ending was just a little more heartwarming.
The Devil Wears Prada
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Based on Lauren Weisberger’s novel, The Devil Wears Prada stars Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs, an aspiring journalist who, after landing a job with top New York fashion designer Miranda Priestly, gets drawn deeper and deeper into the cutthroat world of the fashion industry. Meryl Streep stars alongside Hathaway as Miranda Priestly, with a further cast that includes Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, and Simon Baker.
- Director
- David Frankel
- Release Date
- June 30, 2006
- Studio(s)
- 20th Century
- Distributor(s)
- 20th Century
- Writers
- Lauren Weisberger , Meryl Streep , Anne Hathaway
- Cast
- Anne Hathaway , Stanley Tucci , Meryl Streep
- Runtime
- 109minutes
- Budget
- $35 million
