Rewind Back to 2006: “The Devil Wears Prada” (20th anniversary)

With the sequel “The Devil Wears Prada 2” now playing in theaters, I wanted to revisit the original movie that was released twenty years ago! 20th Century Fox bought the rights to the film adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s novel in 2003, before it was even completed and the project wasn’t greenlit until Meryl Streep was cast. The movie eventually grossed $326 million worldwide ($125 million domestically) against a $35-41 million budget.

Andy is a recent college graduate with big dreams. Upon landing a job at prestigious Runway magazine, she finds herself the assistant to diabolical editor Miranda Priestly. 

Andy questions her ability to survive her grim tour as Miranda’s whipping girl without getting scorched.

During the movie’s initial release in 2006, both critics and audiences generally enjoyed “The Devil Wears Prada.” This 2006 favorite is a witty, stylized comedy with a truly stand-out performance from Meryl Streep, who was also nominated for an Oscar for her performance. A lot of viewers have also appreciated the engaging fashion, sharp dialogue and strong supporting performances, often citing it as an entertaining “modern classic.”:

One of the best aspects of this movie is, of course, Streep’s portrayal of the “icy” Miranda Priestly, which has been widely considered to be the movie’s most memorable part by many viewers and critics. Streep’s line delivery is quite memorable - which is almost like a quiet whisper and still remains one of the best performances of her long career.

While Anne Hathaway was really great in this movie, it is really the memorable supporting performances from Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci that can steal the show. Her abrasive and monotone delivery of stinging insults also became some of the most quotable lines in the movie. Tucci’s soft portrayal of Nigel gives us some decent comedic moments and some genuine, sincere moments as Andy’s mentor.

“The Devil Wears Prada” also delivers quite a few memorable moments, especially when the scenes feature Miranda Priestly, that audiences and fans of the movie will always remember. Some of those moments include almost every scene that Streep appears in and numerous one-liners that we hear characters say, such as “Florals? For spring?

Groundbreaking” (Miranda being sarcastic), “Gird your loins” (when Nigel is informing the staff that Miranda is coming, causing panic in the office, and the always humorous “OK. I am hearing this. And I want to hear this” (as Emily is trying to get Andy to be quiet).

This 2006 movie is widely regarded as a cultural touchstone that portrays the mid-2000s fashion industry as a high-stakes, image-driven, and often cutthroat environment. While it uses satire and exaggeration, industry insiders and critics generally agree that it captures the grueling pace, intense power dynamics and professional rigor of top-tier fashion publications.

“The Devil Wears Prada” was a major critical and commercial success and is widely celebrated for its sharp writing, iconic fashion, and standout performances that have maintained cultural relevance for two decades, leading to the recently released theatrical sequel.

MPA: Rated PG-13 for some sensuality   (runtime 109) minutes)

Initial release date: June 30, 2006

Streaming services: Hulu/Disney Plus/HBO Max/various PVOD platforms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZOZwUQKu3E

• On the first day of filming, Meryl Streep told Anne Hathaway, "I think you're perfect for the role. I'm so happy we're going to be working together." Then she paused and followed it up with, "That's the last nice thing I'll say to you." And it was.

• Despite multiple fashion designer loans, Patricia Field spent more than $1 million on costuming, making it the most expensively-costumed film in history. Field received her sole Oscar nomination for her work on this film.

• Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue (and the inspiration for Miranda Priestly), was not invited to the premiere. She did, however, attend an advance screening for the press along with her daughter, dressed head-to-toe in Prada. Wintour's daughter could be heard nudging her through the screening: "They got that right!" Although never commenting on it publicly, she reportedly really liked the film despite initial skepticism.

• The only contact production had with Vogue was Jess Gonchor, the production designer, who snuck into their offices to get a look at Anna Wintour's office. He was able to re-create it so authentically that it is said that Anna redecorated hers immediately after the movie came out.

• (at around 59 mins) Emily Blunt has stated that she stole a snarky line of dialogue that she heard coming from a mother yelling at her child on the street. That line was, "Yeah, I'm hearing 'this' (talking), and I want to hear, 'this' (silence)." It was accompanied by the hand-talking gestures that Blunt also mimicked in the scene.

• Only two days of the production took place in Paris. It was too expensive to fly Meryl Streep to Europe, so her scenes were shot in the US.

• Anne Hathaway was the ninth choice for the role of Andy, as the studio wanted an established dramatic actress over her and her then teen-oriented filmography. Hathaway persisted campaigning hard for the role all the way, going into Fox executive's offices pleading to be hired - explaining why she wanted to do it, why she had to play the role, and giving script notes. It wasn't until Meryl Streep saw her performance in Brokeback Mountain (2005) that she called the studio to advocate for Hathaway's casting in the film.

• Originally a spring release, until 20th Century Fox decided to launch it as counter-programming against Superman Returns (2006). In the end, "Devil" actually outdid "Superman" at the international box office.

• Filmed in 57 days. The final cut was finished in three weeks.

• The novel sold over a million copies, spent ten weeks at number one, and spent a year on the New York Times bestseller list. The film was also a box-office smash hit. The novel has since been published in forty languages.