Huge payday for trio in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’

Meryl Streep is said to have landed a $12.5-million payday to

return as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2.

The 77-year-old acting veteran’s co-stars Anne Hathaway and

Emily Blunt are also said to have landed identical eight-figure

deals as the long-awaited sequel storms towards $300 million at

the global box office. 

Meryl reprised her role as icy Runway editor Miranda nearly 20

years after the original 2006 fashion phenomenon became one of

the defining studio comedies of the era. 

According to Variety, Meryl negotiated a “favoured nations”

arrangement with co-stars Anne and Emily, ensuring all three

women received equal salaries of $12.5 million for the David

Frankel-directed sequel. 

The film, released by 20th Century Studios, has rapidly become

one of the year’s biggest box-office successes and arrives amid

renewed interest in legacy sequels and female-led franchises

following recent Hollywood revivals.

Sources told Variety Meryl – a 21-time Oscar nominee whose

recent work has included Hulu hit Only Murders in the Building

alongside Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez – could

have commanded a far higher fee to return as Miranda Priestly.

Instead, sources claimed the actress helped negotiate parity

between the film’s leading trio.

According to the report, all three actors are also entitled to

lucrative box-office bonuses as the sequel continues surpassing

revenue milestones worldwide.

Sources told the publication each star could ultimately earn more

than $20 million if ticket sales continue at their current pace.

Representatives for 20th Century Studios and talent agency

Creative Artists Agency reportedly declined to comment on the

Variety report, as did spokespersons for Meryl and her female co-

stars.

The sequel reunites much of the original creative team, including

director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna,

whose original adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s bestselling

novel transformed The Devil Wears Prada into a popular film

classic. 

The first movie grossed more than $326 million globally from a

reported $35-million budget and became synonymous with

Meryl’s acclaimed portrayal of the ruthless fashion editor Miranda

Priestly – a performance many critics regard as one of the

defining roles of her career alongside films including Sophie’s

Choice, Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady.

Speaking previously about the possibility of revisiting the

franchise, Aline told Variety Meryl had signalled she was “open to

ideas” for a sequel roughly two years ago.

The publication also reported that The Devil Wears Prada 2 carried a

production budget of approximately $100 million, with much of

that figure reportedly allocated to cast salaries.