Summary
- The Princess Diaries 2 was a critical low in Anne Hathaway's career, proving not all comedies need sequels.
- The Devil Wears Prada 2 wouldn't work due to changes in the fashion industry and the film's specific time and place.
- Hathaway's recent films show her growth as an actor, highlighting the importance of not simply revisiting past iconic roles.
Anne Hathaway doesn't appear to be in any hurry to see a sequel for The Devil Wears Prada — which is a good thing, considering an ignoble early entry in her career. During a recent interview with V Magazine, Anne Hathaway discussed potential future sequels to her previous films like The Princess Diaries 3 and The Devil Wears Prada 2. In the interview, she would only confirm that a potential Princess Diaries 3 is currently in a "good place" but was more specific in shooting down the idea of a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada.
Looking back at Anne Hathaway's career and ahead at her upcoming films, it's exciting that she feels that way about the Academy Award-nominated dramedy. It's especially relevant given an early film in her career went the unnecessary sequel route, and ended up being a critical low of her career. That reception highlighted the potential faults with reprising a role when the story doesn't necessarily justify a return, even of one of Anne Hathaway's best early movie roles. Despite featuring one of her earliest roles, one of Hathaway's most critically decried films proves why movies don't need a sequel.
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The Princess Diaries 2 Proves Classic Anne Hathaway Comedies Shouldn't Always Get Sequels
The Princess Diaries 2 Was An Early Critical-Bomb For Anne Hathaway
The Princess Diaries 2 remains a critical-panned low point in Anne Hathaway's career, highlighting why not every comedy starring the actress needs a sequel. Hathaway's cinematic debut in The Princess Diaries set off a successful career in Hollywood. Opposite legendary actress Julie Andrews as her queenly grandmother Clarisse, Hathaway's Mia — a shy American girl who discovers she's the heir to a powerful European nation — helped establish Hathaway's career. She returned to the role of Mia in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which suffered from diminishing results.
Although the film made a modest profit, it was critically maligned. Despite being directed by Garry Marshall with a screenplay by Shonda Rhimes, the film's only saving grace in the eyes of critics was Hathaway. The film currently has a score of 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. It suffers from a middling story about Mia's need to marry a prince before she loses the throne. It proves that sometimes, films can work best when they stand as individual pieces. This is especially true with one of Hathaway's roles in The Devil Wears Prada.
Why The Devil Wears Prada 2 Wouldn't Work
The Evolution Of Fashion & Culture Makes The Devil Wears Prada 2 Unlikely
The Devil Wears Prada was a smash hit in 2006, earning over $300 million at the box office as well as a slew of award nominations. Set in the world of the fashion industry, Hathaway stars as Andy, the new assistant to Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly. It was a great showcase for Hathaway against seasoned pros like Streep and peers like Emily Blunt. It was also rooted in a specific time and place, with an industry that's changed radically in subsequent years. This makes any sequel an unlikely prospect, as The Devil Wears Prada's ending doesn't call for expansion.
There’s a huge difference in the world now with technology, and one of the things about that particular story is it was about producing a physical object.
The world is a different place on a cultural level than it was when The Devil Wears Prada was made. The fashion industry has especially changed. As Hathaway explained to V Magazine "There’s a huge difference in the world now with technology, and one of the things about that particular story is it was about producing a physical object." Hathaway's preference for instead reuniting The Devil Wears Prada's cast and creatives for an entirely new film is a far more exciting concept, especially in light of her recent projects.
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