As you likely know, The Devil Wears Prada movies are loosely based on books by Lauren Weisberger, who was once an assistant to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. So ever since they’ve been out, there’s been question about whether Wintour was offended by Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestley character. According to Anne Hathaway, the fashion icon has long been a very good sport about the whole thing.
Before The Devil Wears Prada hit theaters in 2006, Meryl Streep recently revealed that the production actually had difficulty landing designer clothes because the industry was scared to be affiliated with a movie that could take shots at the Vogue boss. However, as Hathaway further proved in a recent interview with Popcast, she handled the whole thing commendably. In her words:
I have to give credit to Anna. Round one, she got the joke immediately. And, as soon as she saw it and saw what Meryl had done, she really was just great about it.
This conversation is coming back up because The Devil Wears Prada 2 was just among 2026 movie releases. During the press tour, Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour actually did a joint cover for Vogue, showing that Wintour is A-OK with being associated with the comedy franchise. As Hathaway also added:
We had a screening of the first film to benefit Dress For Success, and she showed up wearing Prada. I mean, that is like the most baller move. And as the years have kind of gone on, she and I have developed a personal relationship – I think she has a relationship with everyone in the cast now. So, it just feels like friends now.
Anna Wintour has been complimentary to the film in other comments of hers as well. She said that she “found it highly enjoyable and very funny” when she first saw The Devil Wears Prada and called it a “fair shot.” When it came to the sequel’s release, she said she was excited for it because it “represents how important the world of fashion is”.
It also should be pointed out that while the book may be directly inspired by Wintour, Meryl Streep didn’t aim to embody the Vogue editor-in-chief. The Oscar winner actually based her performance on directors Mike Nichols and Clint Eastwood, since they were both bosses she had that had a specific “command on the set” that stuck with her.
Now, when some of her former assistants have been asked how much Miranda Priestley is like Anna Wintour, one said “Yes, with an asterisk” while another said “there are shades” but it’s “sort of a different thing.” Ultimately, it sounds like there’s a bit of truth to the portrayal and some expected movie dramatization between Anna and Miranda. And the fact that Anna Wintour has not only seen the movie, but become friends with the cast and even endorsed the movies in her own ways, goes to show that the movie didn’t burn any bridges as a result of its existence. We love to see it!
