The women of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” are clacking their stilettos all the way to the bank.
As the sequel to the iconic fashion film continues to rake in cash across the globe — $300 million in box office and counting — multiple sources told Variety what the triumvirate of leading ladies earned to return after 20 years.
Streep, who stars again as the fearsome magazine editor Miranda Priestly, was obviously the most crucial element for filmmakers and distributor 20th Century Studios. They came to the table with an offer befitting Streep’s pedigree and enduring market value, four sources said.
While Streep could have commanded far more to don Priestly’s silver bob a second time, the sources said the 21-time Oscar nominee fetched $12.5 million for the David Frankel-directed sequel. And though Streep treats Hathaway and Blunt as underlings on screen, she shared the love with her costars in the negotiating room.
All three actors brokered a “favored nations” deal, two of the sources added, meaning Hathaway and Blunt were also cut $12.5 million checks to resurrect their respective characters, Andrea Sachs and Emily Charlton. It’s a classy move by Streep, and one that honors the ensemble magic that made the first “Prada” a perennial favorite.
The perks don’t stop there. In addition to eight-figure salaries, all three women were afforded lucrative box office bonuses — windfalls that will come as “Prada 2” continues to pass pre-negotiated milestones in box office receipts. Bonuses like these are standard for most movie stars, though sources said these incentives have already begun paying out thanks to the overwhelming response to the film. Each star could earn over $20 million, per two sources, if the sequel keeps packing in audiences.
Representatives for 20th Century Studios and CAA, the agency representing all three actors, had no comment on the matter. A rep for Streep had no comment. Reps for Hathaway and Blunt did not immediately return requests for comment.
Streep was smart to bet on herself. Aline Brosh McKenna, screenwriter on both “Prada” films, said the star signaled only two years ago that she was “open to ideas” for a sequel to “Prada.” The original was released in 2006 and made for a reported $35 million, going on to gross $326 million globally. The sequel carried a $100 million budget, which Frankel has previously said was spent largely on the cast. Interestingly, this is not the biggest acting fee of Streep’s career, Variety has learned.
That came via “Don’t Look Up,” director Adam McKay’s 2021 disaster dramedy in which Streep played the president, per another source. Netflix compensates talent in a different fashion than the legacy studios, as they calculate what their films would have earned in theaters and tack on a “back-end buyout” to replace box office bonuses.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is entering its second weekend in wide release, where it is expected to battle “Mortal Kombat II” to open at No. 1. “Prada 2” is projected to fetch up to $42 million in its second frame, pushing its global tally past $300 million.
