As Meryl Streep gears up for the May 1 release of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” she’s reflecting on how the film industry has — and hasn’t — changed in the two decades since the original came out.
During an appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” Wednesday night, Streep said that the original “Devil Wears Prada” — which starred Streep as high-powered fashion editor Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as her nervous assistant Andy — was labeled a “chick flick” and barely given any budget.
“That designation has kind of not worn well after ‘Barbie’ and ‘Mammia Mia’ and other films that completely catch the studios by surprise that people want to see them because they have women in the center of the story,” Streep said. “So we had to scrabble for our budget.”
Streep said she’s even discussed this with “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig, whom she is rumored to be working with on Netflix’s upcoming “Narnia” movie. “I talked to Greta about it. That was true with ‘Barbie’ a little bit, in comparison to what they spend on other films,” she added.
However, for “Devil Wears Prada 2,” which sees Streep and Hathaway’s characters reunite to face the current print journalism crisis, Streep says cost was not a concern. “This one, honey, they spent the money!” Streep told Colbert.
The acting icon — who has nabbed three Oscars in her decades-long career — also gave Colbert some insight into the inspiration for Miranda Priestly. Though Anna Wintour is often assumed to have been the basis for the character in Lauren Weisberger’s original book, Streep said she actually looked to two famous film directors for Miranda’s mannerisms and delivery.
“If Mike Nichols and Clint Eastwood had a baby, it would be Miranda Priestly,” Streep said. “Because just the command on the set. Mike would do it sort of with a sly humor, and Miranda knows what she’s saying is kind of snide, but she knows it’s kind of funny, too. And calm, because Clint never would raise his voice. He would direct, and people would have to lean forward to hear what he was saying.”
Watch Streep’s interview with Colbert below.
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