Miranda Priestly famously does not suffer fools, and Stanley Tucci, now 65, has made it clear he will not suffer another twenty-year wait for a possible third “Devil Wears Prada” movie.
The long-awaited sequel “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is doing big business at the box office, so people are already wondering if the franchise will keep going. Most of the main cast says they would come back, but Tucci gave a dark but funny warning.
Stanley Tucci’s Honest Take on Franchise Future
Tucci has clearly stated that if it takes another twenty years, he literally will not be alive to wear Nigel’s fancy suits. “I don’t think we can do it in another 20 years. We have to do it sooner than that, because I’ll be dead,” Tucci told Entertainment Weekly.
Related: The Real Winner Of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Isn’t Who You Expect
Tucci plays the sharp-tongued art director Nigel Kipling again in the sequel. He kept the joke going when asked about a third movie way down the line. “If they exhume us,” he said. He meant that a 2046 release date would need the cast to be dug up from the grave. In another interview, he said a third movie “will take place in a nursing home,” with Blunt and Anne Hathaway “coming to visit our tombstones.”
The Cast Pact and Why the Script Comes First
The timing is a big problem, but the cast also cares about the script. Tucci said the four main actors, including himself, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt, made a deal. They would not come back for the sequel unless all four said yes.
In case you missed it: Why ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Is Winning Big At The Box Office
That same deal would probably apply to a third movie, but Tucci said the story matters more than money. He explained that he only came back because the sequel focuses on real problems in modern journalism, where things like AI and smartphones are hurting traditional media. He did not want a shallow return to “pretty costumes.”
“I love playing this character. He’s so incredibly satisfying to play,” Tucci said. “But in the end, I think for all of us, including the director and the writer, it really depends on the script. If it makes sense, yeah, sure. If it doesn’t make sense? Probably not.”
Will the Studio Move Fast Enough for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 3’
Tucci is not the only one worried about getting older. Meryl Streep, who is 76, said the same thing during press interviews. She asked the producers not to wait another twenty years. Director David Frankel admitted the sequel only happened because the team finally found a “substantial story” about the fall of print media. For years, they did not have one.
Right now, people are going to theaters to see the 2026 sequel. It is expected to cross $100 million in its second weekend domestically in North America. Frankel said, “There’s a life for the characters beyond this story.” So now it is up to the studio.
If they want Nigel’s sharp comments and “peripheral vision” back for a third movie, they’d better move fast before Tucci’s tombstone reads his famous line: “Gird your loins.”
You might also want to read: Anne Hathaway Explains Why ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Flips Andy Sachs’ Original Ending
