There was one way we'd agreed to do Devil Wears Prada 2, says Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep returns to her role as Miranda Priestly, the intimidating Runway Magazine editor-in-chief who is said to be modelled on Vogue's Anna WintourWalt Disney Studios

When a Devil Wears Prada sequel was announced, 20 years after the release of the original, the one question on many people's lips was "why?".

For Meryl Streep, who plays the Anna Wintour-inspired Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of Runway Magazine, there was a key condition for taking part.

"There was one way that we would sign on to do a sequel," she tells BBC News. "If it spoke to the moment."

Indeed, the film mirrors real-life developments in the world of journalism - staffing cuts, dwindling print numbers and digital domination.

"Everything has to have its own necessity for being - even the frothiest sort of fun movie," Streep says.

Co-star Stanley Tucci adds the film is "dealing with the issues of today - the loss of control that journalists have because of social media and AI".

Stanley Tucci returns as Nigel Kipling, creative director at Runway, and Anne Hathaway returns as Andy Sachs, who has a new job at the magazineWalt Disney Studios

'Enjoy the nostalgia'

It was always going to be difficult trying to replicate the success of the original 2006 film, which is still regularly quoted in popular culture and has recently become a West End musical.

But rather than replicating the original, is the new film more a reflection of changing times?

"One of the things I think the film does really well is show you have to participate in the world you want to live," fellow lead actor Anne Hathaway says.

"I hope people realise the fate of journalism really rests on them and if you believe in it, you believe it's important - I personally do."

Three-time Oscar winner Streep "absolutely hopes that people do take hope from this".

"It sounds like we've made [the 2015 film] Spotlight or something but no, we've made The Devil Wears Prada - there's a lot of fun and fashion," she jokes.

This is echoed by Tucci, who calls the film "a nice bit of escapism" at a time when "the world is in a very chaotic place".

Emily Blunt, who also stars in the second film, is able to call Tucci family thanks to the first instalment (she introduced her sister to Tucci at the original film's premiere - they've now been married for 14 years).

She says she wants "people to have a joy bomb - go [see it] with their friends, laugh, cheer and enjoy the nostalgia bank that the movie is".

Streep and Hathaway are reunited as colleagues in the new film, after Hathaway's character Andy returns to Runway MagazineWalt Disney Studios

'Snarky one-liners'

The sequel, once again written by Aline Brosh McKenna and directed by David Frankel, is packed with beautiful designer outfits, celebrity cameos such as Marc Jacobs and Naomi Campbell, as well as iconic locations like New York and Milan.

And the much-loved leads - Tucci as Miranda's creative director, Nigel Kipling, and Hathaway as Andy Sachs who returns to Runway as its new features editor, are sharp in their portrayals.

Blunt reprises her role as Emily Charlton, who is no longer an assistant at the magazine and now works as a high-up executive in luxury retail.

While there are still "snarky one-liners" and moments of wit in the sequel, the characters find themselves in a "whole new landscape", Blunt says.

"I like that the movie deals with the ideas of realisation, forgiveness, reconciliation, reclamation," she adds.

So far, reviews for the film have been mostly positive - with Variety describing it as "a sequel made with intelligence and respect for both its predecessor and the legions who still love it".

The Guardian says it is "good-natured, buoyant entertainment".

Empire, meanwhile, adds that the film "serves its characters with a fresh story instead of relying solely on the tropes of its predecessor" but does note "this high-fashion tale could have benefitted from higher stakes".

But The Hollywood Reporter describes the film as "pretty polished and as featherweight as a fawning magazine puff piece".

Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci said they'd only reunite for a sequel if they felt a connection with the plot linesWalt Disney Studios

Fans of the first film appreciated how it centered the three female leads in Streep, Blunt and Hathaway, highlighting how ambitious they were in their careers.

The success of these women is once again at the forefront in the second film, with romantic partners appearing as part of various side plots.

Streep believes it's an important message to send.

"For young women who pursue a career, it's always been [the case that] ambition is seen as an unattractive quality in women. We would hope that feeling would be obsolete but it isn't, it's alive and kicking," she says.

Hathaway agrees: "Stories about women who love what they do - who work at it and who prioritise it - are few and far between in Hollywood.

"I think that's why this one resonated with people 20 years ago and I think why people are responding to it this time - because there are a lot of us out there who feel that way."

Emily Blunt's character, Emily Charlton, has left Runway Magazine to pursue a career in high-end fashionWalt Disney Studios

But it's clear the female protagonists in this new film are having to make sacrifices in their personal lives to pursue their high-pressured careers, too.

"How you define having a full life, a satisfying life and a meaningful one is very personal," Oscar, Bafta and Golden Globe winner Hathaway says.

"For some people, that means you have a career and for some, it means your career is life-based. There's no one better than the other," she adds.

"I think it's a message that men can take to heart as well," Streep says in response.

"No man on his deathbed says 'damn, I wish I'd been at the office more', I don't think. We all want to keep our lives in balance," she adds.

You get the feeling the cast hope people can learn something new from this film, while still managing to enjoy it like the original.

For Hathaway, taking some inspiration from the characters is important. "Seeing a story that centres around a character you can connect to that inspires you [is] a huge reason why I'm sitting here right now," she says.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is out in cinemas now.