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Men The Devil Wears Prada 2we are informed about a very much different Miranda Priest. There was a time when the powerful queen of fashion – that was played Meryl Streep and based on Vogue’s long-time editor, Anna Wintour – can finish work with just a glance. But this time, he spends most of the film taking it upon himself. First, we see her being told off by the promoters, then she’s printing the boss Irv Ravitz and his annoying son. And not long after, Benji Barnes, a well-known billionaire, appeared and threatened to end the success he had enjoyed throughout his career.
In the film, Benji is played – quite frighteningly, I must add – by Justin Theroux. After a high-profile divorce, she has become “lighter”, which loosely refers to losing weight and boasting a deep mahogany tan. After the divorce, he is now in a relationship with Emily – Miranda’s acerbic former assistant, who was played by the thief. Emily Bluntwho is described as “every girl who ignored him in high school”. Benji’s inclusion in the story feels like a proxy for television, where the likes of billionaires choose the parts of old, old journalists to survive. And for Emily, she’s learning that partnering with someone so powerful can help her step out of Miranda’s shadow. The romance between these opposites – a type A fashion queen and a nerd who grew up to be one of the richest people in the world – provides magical relief. But beyond the laughs are serious – and uncomfortable – statements about how people with enough money can buy into traditional power.
So, who is Benji Barnes from? It doesn’t take a genius to see the similarities Jeff Bezos – the founder of Amazon himself, after all divorce from MacKenzie Scott in 2019, has had (how can I put this?) visible to be transformed. Not only that, but in the movie, Benji’s ex-wife, Sasha Barnes (Lucy Liu), has decided to dedicate her life to philanthropy – just like Scott himself. promised to give half of his $37bn divorce settlement.
Then we have Emily. Emily is currently working as a fashion executive, and is eager to use her friend’s position to promote herself. Again, there is a clear parallel with how Bezos’ new wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, used their highly publicized partnership to boost her profile. Last year, she (literally) launched herself on #GirlBoss to fly space around Katy Perry, of all people, before appearing on the digital cover of Vogue. And the couple’s 2025 luxury wedding in Venice was attended by everyone from around the world Oprah Winfrey for the Kardashians, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ivanka Trump, Bill Gates and the designer Domenico Dolce, whose fashion house Dolce & Gabbana made her wedding dress. It was even reports that Sánchez wants to be a Bond girl, when Amazon acquired the rights to the 007 franchise in 2022. And although there is no truth to it, that it is clearly understood within the possible events speaks clearly about the role of the former director of So You Think You Can Dance? he has changed.
Along with the widely publicized release of The Devil Wears Prada 2, there’s another interesting “meta” aspect to the headlines. The sequel begins with a major scandal that broke out on the night of the Priestly-verse version of the Met Gala. And this year, the reality has been against Bezos status as an honorary seat (and a major source of income)and rumors of celebrities boycotting the event in protest. (Even if it depends last night (When carrying the red carpet, it doesn’t seem like many of them follow.)
Bezos may not be joining the Met Gala — fashion’s biggest night — out of the goodness of his heart. His participation shows how hard he has been trying enter the inner circle of fashion for a while, and the tie-up that tech billionaires have in various media outlets. “We already had the script and were making the film when the rumors (of Bezos thinking about buying Conde Nast) started happening,” The Devil Wears Prada 2 screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna. he said in the near future. “It wasn’t motivated by anything, but, we said, ‘Ah,’ when it happened.”
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is the latest in a long line of movies and TV shows to create a plot based on this transformation, which is happening in the open. On Apple TV’s The Morning Show, travel pioneer Paul Marks (Jon Hamm), which is not set in a careless manner Elon Muskhe tries to create media coverage to protect his lies. In the third season of the HBO financial drama, nobleman Henry Muck reaps the benefits from a government refund after launching his powerhouse, Lumi, into the ground. In Succession, we saw the connection of Logan Roy (Brian Cox)a Murdoch-coded media mogul who pulls politics and power, and Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård), a new age billionaire who made his fortune from streaming. (The latter’s interests include sending his donor bags of his own blood.)
The sudden rise of the protagonists of this scene shows the true reality. In decades past, we didn’t know much about 0.00001%. As a royal family, they were very pompous and their interactions with the press were infrequent, distant and stage-driven. But now, it seems like the oligarch can’t escape. (I can’t seem to get through a day without catching wind one Musk’s social media diatribes). When Donald Trump (billionaire himself) was re-elected in January 2025, what was seen was a new group of technology billionaires – including Musk, Facebook’s. Mark Zuckerbergis the CEO of Apple, Tim Cookand Bezos (accompanied by Sánchez, of course) – standing at the top. These men become rich and powerful by building the tools we rely on to communicate, work, entertain and share information.
In a Netflix whodunnit Knives Out 2egomaniac tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites his friends to his secret Greek island for a murder mystery game that turns into a true crime. When – horror of horrors – Miles turns out to be evil, the film ends tragically not only with his own biography, but also with Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa on fire. The film warns us that the desires of one person can destroy the most precious creations of mankind.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a similar cautionary tale. Like most of these billionaire men – because they are mostly men – Benji doesn’t think about talent and creativity. “I think the day is coming soon when the Runway doesn’t need models, locations or designers,” Miranda tells her, with much glee, in the film’s most important scene. “Everything will be fine.” AI.” Miranda takes the time to defend “the beauty, the art and the good things that people have achieved,” but it seems like she’s no match for the world that Benji and his fellow billionaires are painstakingly building. The film asks: Is this the world we want to live in?
