There really is no living legend quite like Meryl Streep. As one of the most acclaimed actors of all time, Streep is now returning to one of the most quoted, imitated and beloved roles of her career in The Devil Wears Prada 2 — and for a great many queer fans, that is more than enough reason to be excited. The sequel premiered in New York on 20 April and is set for theatrical release on this May.
Nearly 20 years after the original film first reshaped the relationship between fashion and pop culture, Streep is once again stepping into the heels of Miranda Priestly, the terrifyingly chic editor-in-chief widely understood to be inspired by Vogue’s Anna Wintour. The sequel reunites her with Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, and early reactions have been especially enthusiastic about Streep slipping straight back into Miranda’s razor-sharp world.
If the first film made a huge impact on audiences everywhere, queer viewers arguably embraced it most completely. Miranda Priestly’s lines became instant canon, with quotes like “Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking” living on for two decades as the kind of camp shorthand that never really goes out of style. That deep affection is part of why the sequel is already landing with such intensity for LGBTQ+ fans. That last point is an inference based on the film’s long-standing queer cultural status and the way Streep herself discusses that audience.
In a recent interview highlighted by Out, Streep spoke warmly about the relationship between the film and queer audiences, and about the role LGBTQ+ people have played in shaping fashion itself. “Would we have fashion without gay people? Forgive me, would we have anything?” she said, adding that making the sequel with the LGBTQ+ community in mind was “top of mind”. That interview is reflected in Out’s social posts and secondary coverage surfaced in search results.
She also joked about her return to the role, brushing off praise for how striking she looks in the sequel by saying it was all down to “the power of good lighting”, before adding that she feels every one of her 76 years and feels lucky to revisit something made two decades earlier. Reports from the premiere and press tour have echoed that sense of affection and surprise at the film’s global reach.
That reach is clearly part of what has taken Streep by surprise. Coverage from the current press cycle describes The Devil Wears Prada 2 as a sequel that is travelling well across cultures, with audiences responding similarly from city to city. Early reactions have also praised the film for finding a timely new angle by placing Miranda Priestly in a changing media landscape rather than simply replaying old beats.
And perhaps that is the key to why it still works. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is not returning to this world simply because people remember the quotes. It is returning because Miranda Priestly still has cultural force — and because Streep understands exactly how much pleasure there is in letting her do what she does best all over again. That final sentence is an inference based on the film’s reception, returning cast, and the current promotional focus on Miranda’s enduring appeal.
