No no no no no no.
We all (or should all) know and love the classic story of The Devil Wears Prada, made into a movie
in 2006 starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. The film was adapted from the
book (loosely adapted, but still stuck around the same storyline) by Lauren
Weisberger. 2013 comes around and she releases the sequel, called Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns.
Now, spoilers ahead but I sincerely doubt you will want to
read it and if it is made into a movie you won’t want to see that either but
the only way it will be successful as a movie is if they just keep the title
and change the plot completely. And actually, I don’t think there will be any
spoilers because I couldn’t care less… if I give away any huge plot details,
I’ll warn you again.
So I heard about this book, oh I don’t know, about half a
year ago? It was then released at the beginning of June so I awkwardly went to
the bookstore and made the fastest transaction ever made. I walked in,
had my money ready, and the guy at the counter and I made little eye contact
and spoke even less and then I was out of there. (I ended up buying a postcard
from him a week or so later but I don’t think he remembered me [of course he
remembered me I’m probably the only 20-year-old North American male to buy the
book].)
Why I really wanted to read it was because if it was going
to be made into a movie then Meryl would undoubtedly be in it and therefore I
must familiarize myself with the content. I’ll link to an interview below where
Meryl says that if a movie were to be made she would probably join, but she’d
have to “lose the fucking weight.” This is also just a delightful interview to watch.
Anyway, the title “Revenge Wears Prada” would lead us to believe
that MIRANDA PRIESTLY = REVENGE. Well, Miranda Priestly is seen about four
times in the entire book and three of those times she doesn’t even speak. She
has ONE scene and it is absolutely wretched. I mean, Meryl would make it
wonderful, but OH MY GOSH NO.
The entire joy about the first book/movie was the
back-and-forth and conflict between the protagonist (Andrea Sachs) and Miranda
Priestly. There is none of that in this book. And the entire novel was based
around whiny Andrea and her problems post-Runway
(the magazine where she worked as Miranda’s assistant) career. As I said
earlier, the first book was loosely adapted into the movie, but I don’t know
how this one could be salvaged to actually be appealing as a movie. People
familiar with The Devil Wears Prada
will look for Miranda (Meryl) and frankly casting her in this would be a waste
of talent… and I would say the same for Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt and
Stanley Tucci.
When you read the book as a book you think, “meh.” When you
read the book as a potential movie you think, “please do not let this happen.”
Unless someone can get in there and adapt the crap out of
the novel, I would advise all of these actors and directors and costumers and
everyone to stay away from the movie. Actually, what I am saying is that this
just won’t happen at all. I honestly don’t think that a company would actually
invest in distributing Revenge Wears
Prada as it is now. But maybe Aline Brosh McKenna (the screenwriter who
adapted the first novel) can salvage it to be something that can actually replicate the charm, wit, and snap of the first movie.
We can only hope. Otherwise, don’t waste your time, Meryl.
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