Twenty years since Andy Sachs walked into Miranda Priestley’s office to become her personal assistant, the cast has reunited for a second instalment of high fashion and high drama in The Devil Wears Prada 2.
Meryl Streep reprises her role as the ruthless head of New York fashion magazine Runway, while Anne Hathaway (playing Andy), Emily Blunt (Emily Charlton) and Stanley Tucci (Nigel Kipling) all slot back into their roles in the world of top fashion journalism.
Now the magazine’s features editor, we find Andy once again on the bustling streets of New York – a destination as iconic as the story itself.
Ahead of the film’s release on 1 May, we take a look at the film’s trailers to see which filming locations we can identify so far. While New York remains a perpetual feature, our characters also swap the Big Apple for a trip to Italy, too.
New York City, USA
As viewers dive back into the world of galas, catwalks and lavish lifestyles, we inevitably end up back in New York City.
Andy’s chaotic scenes on the streets of NYC were one of the reasons the film remained so memorable.
Twenty years later, the character is strutting around Manhattan – this time a little less franticly – although the hierarchy is still apparent when she is told by Miranda to ride the subway train while the icy editor-in-chief is shuttled in her private car.
“It was very emotional to get to film in New York and to see New York be into it back, it was just beautiful,” Anne Hathaway said in a promotional clip for the film.
The cast and crew were spotted on the bustling Midtown West 49th Street in Manhattan at the famous 1221 Avenue of the Americas building, formerly known as the McGraw-Hill Building.
In the original film, the building was used for the exterior shots of the fictional Elias-Clarke Group office, the site of Runway’s headquarters, which appears to be the case again in this instalment.
Scenes for a Runway fashion gala appeared to be shot at the American Museum of Natural History, just off Central Park West, where we see Miranda in a dramatic red gown as she is photographed heading up the stairs into the venue.
“There were a lot of fans when we did the gala event, people dressed up as Miranda Priestly,” Streep said of filming the gala. “I don’t have a rockstar persona, so I am not used to that.”
House of Dior New York, the luxury atelier’s NYC base, also features in the film’s trailer, as does a private Long Island waterfront estate that once belonged to Billy Joel before he sold it for £25m.
New York, its lively nature, fashion capital status and its symbolic media power make the city important to the storyline. As Hathaway explained: “The destiny of the film and the streets of New York are just intertwined together forever, I love that.”
Milan, Italy
While The Devil Wears Prada saw our leading characters fly to Paris for Fashion Week, the sequel shows them jetting off to Milan.
The trailer shows shots of Miranda standing alone at night in the centre of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s oldest shopping arcade.
One of the biggest Milanese attractions, the arcade was designed by celebrated architect Giuseppe Mengoni and opened in 1877.
The arcade has long been a showcase of fashion brands, white tablecloth restaurants and elegant bars.
Even if shopping in the haute couture stores is not on the agenda, many visit the arcade for its ornate interior, embellished with mosaics, caryatid figures and gold-leaf lettering on storefront signs.
Under the glass atrium ceiling, the four-story arcade houses the likes of Prada, Gucci, Versace, Louis Vuitton and Dior.
Lake Como, Italy
Filming also took place on Lake Como in Italy, with Andy and Emily spotted together on a luxury speed boat on the water.
The boat looks like it was making its way in the direction of Villa Balbiano, a historical 16th-century palazzo on the banks of the lake with a past filled with indulgent banquets and high society parties.
Inside, guests would find a world of affluent maximalism, with period furniture, antiques, crystal chandeliers, gilded-edged mirrors and a large collection of art.
Now the largest private residence on the lake, the villa and its surrounding manicured gardens can be booked as a luxury rental and hosts many weddings throughout the year.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 premieres in cinemas on 1 May.
Indian airlines body warns of mass flight cancellations over jet fuel prices
Spanish bars could be forced to close outdoor terraces under new heatwave rules
What does Wizz Air offer that we can’t get from easyJet and Ryanair?
Ryanair boss warns European airlines could go bust if jet fuel prices remain high
Have tourists changed how they book holidays due to jet fuel crisis?
I spent £70,000 on family holiday of a lifetime. We didn’t get past the airport
