Meryl Streep’s Major Struggle to Sell ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ 20 Years Ago!

Meryl Streep is setting the record straight! During her appearance on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, the three-time Oscar winner reminded everyone that while “The Devil Wears Prada,” released in 2006, is widely recognized as a success today, it was initially a tough sell to producers.

“We Had to Fight Over Budget Issues”

“Twenty years ago,” she revealed, “the film was categorized as a ‘chick flick,’ a term that has somewhat lost its appeal since the successes of ‘Barbie’ and ‘Mamma Mia!’ among others, which totally caught the studios off guard. Audiences wanted to see these movies because they featured girls and women at the forefront of the story.”

“So, we had to fight about the budget. That’s the truth. And I discussed this with Greta [Gerwig]: it was somewhat the case for ‘Barbie,’ compared to what they spend on other films. For ‘Prada 2,’ darling, they really went all out.”

While the budget for “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is not yet officially disclosed, it is known that the original film had a budget of $35 million and grossed $326 million. A complete success in terms of script and dialogue, driven by Streep’s impeccable performance, but also by Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt.

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is set to hit theaters on April 29, with the entire original cast returning, still under the direction of David Frankel, who has since directed “Marley & Me,” “Collateral Beauty” and worked on “The Morning Show,” among other projects.

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