Simone Ashley and Justin Theroux Join ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’

B.J. Novak, Pauline Chalamet, Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman are also among the cast for the new movie, which sees Meryl Streep returning to star.

(Left) Simone Ashley star in 'Picture This'. Photo: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC. (Center) Justin Theroux in 'The Leftovers'. Photo: HBO. (Right) Lucy Liu in 'Red One'. Credit: Courtesy of Prime. Copyright: © Amazon Content Services LLC

Preview:

Lucy Liu and Justin Theroux have joined the cast of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’.
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are all back for the sequel.
Writer Aline Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel are also returning.

Following the recent news that Kenneth Branagh would be joining the cast of the long-gestating sequel to ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, there has been a huge burst of casting.

The latest update is that Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak and, via Deadline, ‘Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley are all now part of the extended ensemble around returning stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci.

The Devil Wears Prada

"Meet Andy Sachs. A million girls would kill to have her job. She's not one of them."

PG-131 hr 49 minJun 30th, 2006

Showtimes & Tickets

Watch The Devil Wears Prada Online

And that’s just the initial list –– also new are Broadway stars Helen J. Shen and Conrad Ricamora as well as comedian Caleb Hearon.

And on the returning side of things, two more cast members from the original movie will be back: Tracie Thoms, will reprise her part as Lily, the handbag-loving best friend of Hathaway’s Andy Sachs, and Tibor Feldman is on to once again play Irv Ravitz, the chairman of Runway’s parent company Elias-Clark.

What was the story of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’?

(L to R) Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in 'The Devil Wears Prada'. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

Adapted by Aline Brosh McKenna from Lauren Weisberger’s novel and directed by David Frankel, the original follows Andy Sachs (Hathaway), a recent journalism graduate who moves to New York City and lands a job as a junior assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep), the powerful and demanding editor-in-chief of high-fashion magazine Runway, with Blunt as Emily, Priestly’s primary aide.

Andy initially struggles with the high-pressure environment and Miranda’s relentless demands but gradually adapts, gaining confidence and style. As she becomes more involved in her work, she faces personal challenges, including a strained relationship with her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier), and ethical dilemmas about the fashion industry’s values.

The movie was a hit, earning close to $125 million in the US and more than $326 million worldwide. Streep was nominated for an Oscar along with costume designer Patricia Field.

What would the new movie be about?

Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in 2006's 'The Devil Wears Prada .'

With the cast all back for this one, the sequel’s plot would reportedly pick up the story with Priestly still the head of Runway, but the magazine has endured the financial headwinds of contemporary publishing and is in a diminished state.

Blunt’s one-time assistant would now be an executive at a luxury brand conglomerate that advertises with Runway.

Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Grenier won’t be back, but we do know that Branagh will be playing Miranda Priestly’s husband, which as anyone who has seen the first film knows, is not an easy gig given the hard-charging, perfectionist character’s style.

Behind the scenes, McKenna has written the new script and Frankel is once again calling the shots.

What else is happening in the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ world?

Anne Hathaway in 'The Devil Wears Prada'. Photo: 20th Century Fox.

In addition to the sequel, a musical adaptation with an original score by Elton John, is playing in London's West End.

Vanessa Williams is playing the Miranda Priestly role, and a first look at her on stage (well, rising on to it) is online via the production’s Instagram page.

Where else can we see the new cast?

Liu has appeared in a couple of recent movies, including ‘Red One’ and Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Presence’ plus more recent drama ‘Rosemead’.

Theroux was last seen in Netflix basketball comedy ‘Running Point’ and had a role in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’. He’s most recently shot espionage drama ‘The Billion Dollar Spy’.

Beyond her ongoing ‘Bridgerton’ duties, Ashley worked on animated movie ‘The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland’ and ‘Picture This’.

Novak’s work has been more behind the scenes of late, though he did have a role in TV series ‘Poker Face’ this year, and he’s a contributor to a documentary about comedian Mitch Hedberg.

Chalamet, beyond her Timothée connection, is probably best known for Max comedy ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’ and will be seen in upcoming sci-fi thriller ‘Terrestrial’.

Thomas showed up in last month’s comedy ‘Home Delivery’ and is attached to crime drama movie ‘C.R.E.A.M: The American Dream’.

Feldman’s last movie credit was 2023’s ‘Good Egg,’ but he’s been more active on TV, cropping up in ‘Elsbeth’ and ‘Partner Track’.

Hearon has been seen in movies including ‘Sweethearts’ and the TV series ‘Overcompensating’, Ricamora was in ‘Fire Island’ and the 'Prada' sequel marks Shen’s film debut.