The Devil Wears Prada 2 Is Coming — But the Era of Fashion Magazines Is Long Gone

Nearly two decades after the original The Devil Wears Prada became a pop culture phenomenon and box-office success, Disney has confirmed the sequel is in production and slated for release on May 1, 2026. But while the story of Miranda Priestly returns to the big screen, the glamorous world of fashion publishing it once celebrated has been radically transformed — and arguably diminished.

📰 From Glossy Empire to Digital Decline

When the first film debuted in 2006, the fashion magazine industry was still basking in its golden age. Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and their fictional counterpart Runway Magazine were editorial empires fueled by billions in print advertising, glossy pages, and designer perks.

🎥 The original film grossed $327 million globally, with Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly becoming a legendary symbol of editorial power — inspired by Vogue’s iconic Anna Wintour.

But in the two decades since, the media landscape has undergone a massive digital shift. Print ad dollars have plunged, digital-native brands have taken over, and the once-untouchable fashion glossies are now struggling to survive.

💸 Fashion Magazine Ad Revenue: Then vs. Now

According to PwC, ad spending on consumer magazines has declined sharply:

• 📉 2004: $12.2 billion

• 📉 2024: $7.6 billion

• 📉 Projected 2028: $6.4 billion

📊 Meanwhile, online ad spending surpassed magazine ad spend as early as 2008.

What was once a designer-driven, ad-rich world of black town cars and couture has been replaced by budget constraints, influencer marketing, and digital media layoffs.

👠 What We Know About The Devil Wears Prada 2

According to Variety, the sequel’s plot will reflect the new media realities. Actress Emily Blunt, who returns as Miranda Priestly’s former assistant, now plays a powerful executive at a luxury fashion conglomerate — one whose ad dollars are desperately needed by a struggling Runway Magazine.

This evolution mirrors real-world industry dynamics, where legacy publications depend on luxury advertisers to stay afloat in a post-print world.

🏢 Fashion Media’s Great Consolidation

The sequel hits screens at a time when many iconic magazine publishers have shut down, merged, or been acquired:

• ❌ Time Inc. – Gone

• ❌ Meredith Corp. – Absorbed by IAC

• ❌ Wenner Media & AMI – Folded or acquired

The few remaining major players:

• 🏛️ Condé Nast – Vogue, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker

• 🏛️ Hearst Corporation – Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire

• 🏛️ IAC (Barry Diller) – People, Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Living

But even these titans now operate with leaner budgets, fewer print editions, and increasing pressure to compete with social media and digital platforms.

🎬 A Legacy Reboot in a Changed World

While The Devil Wears Prada originally reflected the power and prestige of the print world, the sequel is expected to grapple with the decline of editorial influence, cutthroat media economics, and the rise of fashion tech and influencer marketing.

Will Prada 2 romanticize the past — or boldly reflect the realities of fashion and media in the AI-driven, fast-paced digital age?

Either way, it’s a story made for our time.

🌍 GlobalWorldCitizen.com Insight

The return of The Devil Wears Prada isn’t just about Hollywood nostalgia. It’s a mirror of cultural change—highlighting the rise and fall of print power, the shift to digital-first publishing, and the new rules of fashion and influence.

Whether in cinema, media, or style, adaptation is the new luxury — and Global World Citizen is here to cover it all.