Three of Hollywood's finest showed up at the negotiating table and walked away with identical checks. The Devil Wears Prada 2 reunited Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt nearly 20 years after the original. The salary structure behind this reunion turned out to be just as fashionable as the film itself: equal pay, equal power.

Variety reports that Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt each earned $12.5 million for The Devil Wears Prada 2 through a "favored nations" deal, where all three demanded identical salaries from the studio. Sources had expected Streep to lead the pack financially, making this a pleasant surprise for pay equity advocates everywhere.

Those eight-figure paychecks are only the opening act. With the film already crossing $250 million worldwide in just six days, performance bonuses are practically inevitable. Variety notes that each actress could individually surpass $20 million once box office thresholds trigger those additional payouts, turning an already remarkable deal into something truly historic for an ensemble of this caliber.

The $12.5 million figures sit within a reported $100 million production budget, with the three leads collectively accounting for $37.5 million, a sum that alone exceeds the entire $35 million budget of the original film. Newer additions like Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, and cameos including Lady Gaga likely commanded considerably less, though exact figures for the supporting cast remain undisclosed.

Speaking of knowing one's worth, Meryl Streep's history with this franchise reveals a masterclass in salary negotiation that predates The Devil Wears Prada 2 by two decades.

How Meryl Streep negotiated her salary for the first part of The Devil Wears Prada

Meryl Streep almost did not take the original role at all. Appearing on the Today show alongside Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci while promoting the sequel, Streep revealed she turned down the initial offer for the 2006 film, then doubled her ask just to test the studio. They agreed immediately, teaching her at 56 that leverage is everything.

The risk clearly paid off in every sense. The Devil Wears Prada 2 has grossed over $250 million globally within its first week, validating every dollar of that $100 million budget. Director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna both returned alongside the original cast, and the result is a sequel that is performing as confidently as its leading ladies had negotiated.

What are your thoughts on Streep, Hathaway, and Blunt each taking home matching $12.5 million paychecks? Let us know in the comments.

Written by

Shraddha Priyadarshi

Edited by

Itti Mahajan