Hollywood Pivot: 'Devil Wears Prada' Sequel to Mandate Healthier Casting Standards
Fast Company March 26, 2026
As the long-awaited sequel to *The Devil Wears Prada* enters production, stars Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep are using their leverage to enforce new body-positivity standards on set. For executives, this highlights how top-tier talent is increasingly dictating ESG-aligned production terms that depart from legacy industry norms.
Key Intelligence
•Did you hear that Anne Hathaway made it a condition of her return that the sequel avoid the 'skeletal' model trope of the original?
•Apparently, the production will move away from 'alarmingly thin' casting, reflecting a significant shift in high-fashion and media ethics.
•Both Meryl Streep and Hathaway are leveraging their influence to modernize the franchise's social impact, nearly two decades after the first film.
•Industry insiders suggest this reflects a broader trend where celebrity talent now demands control over the cultural messaging of high-budget projects.
•The original 2006 film was a $326 million commercial juggernaut; the sequel’s change in tone marks a deliberate move toward health-conscious luxury branding.