Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway arrive in Shanghai to launch a sequel and reflect on how their world has changed, Zhang Kun reports in Shanghai.

Shanghai rarely slows for spectacle but on April 10, it did. United States movie stars Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway returned to the spotlight, bringing with them a story that never quite let go.

They were in the city to launch The Devil Wears Prada 2, premiering in China on April 30 ahead of North America.

The original film, based on Lauren Weisberger's novel, was a global box-office hit and earned two Academy Award nominations. The sequel promises to explore a fresh narrative of fashion, power, and personal choice in a radically transformed digital age.

"I never in my wildest dreams imagined that we would do a sequel 20 years later at this age," Streep told China Daily during a roundtable interview at the Peninsula hotel in Shanghai, reflecting on reprising her iconic role as Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine Runway.

The 76-year-old actress says she appreciates that the character has aged alongside her. "I like that Miranda is 76 years old. I like that very much, because I am 76 and I like to see that woman on the screen," she says.

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Streep's character is said to be loosely based on Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. And she reveals that the experience has seen their off-screen relationship evolve into a friendship.

"Over the years since we made the first film, we have become friends, and we just shot the Vogue cover together," she says.

In a written interview, director David Frankel says that the team initially ruled out a sequel after the original film, because "it felt like we had told a stand-alone story, with the characters moving into different orbits at the end of the story.

"Then, the world of print journalism changed. As we saw the world of print journalism continue its decline year after year, it made sense to explore this change and develop a story where these characters ended up interacting again," he says.

"The question of how Miranda Priestly would preside over the demise of her empire became fascinating to us. Or for Andy Sachs — 20 years after you've thrown your phone into a fountain and walked away from Runway to work at a newspaper, what would it take for you to go back? We wanted to explore the compromises that these characters have to make to sustain their careers."

Hathaway admits she was initially cautious. "I thought it's such a dicey prospect to revisit something that's so beloved," Hathaway says in Shanghai. But then Aline Brosh McKenna, the scriptwriter of The Devil Wears Prada, brought out "one of the best scripts that I've read, that just knows how to balance nostalgia with an understanding of the world as it is now."

"All of a sudden, the 20 years that we've had to wait have become such an important foundation and understanding of the movie, because we've all lived in the last 20 years. We've lived this chaos, confusion, and the rapidly changing landscape of everything. So I think that there's already this built-in familiarity with the characters that the last 20 years will have only deepened here."

Speaking about Andy Sachs, Hathaway emphasizes the character's enduring optimism. "I love that even though the world has changed, even though there are so many reasons to feel down, and frightened and anxious, Andy Sachs has lived a life that has made her feel very fulfilled, and she's aware of that," Hathaway says about her character in the movie. "She's actually a really great person to have on your team: she's super optimistic; she sees the best in people, and she's kind. I really value those things even more than I did 20 years ago."

In Shanghai, Hathaway was moved by the warm reception of Chinese fans, and expressed gratitude for their support throughout her career, dating back to The Princess Diaries.

"China and Chinese fans have given me so much support. You have embraced me. You have supported my films … I just want to say how much it means to me, to be here sharing tonight with you."

Both stars honored the host city through their fashion choices. Hathaway wore a layered gown created by Chinese designer Susan Fang and Streep accessorized her blue Saint Laurent outfit with a floral brooch by Chinese jeweler Cindy Chao.

In a lighter moment, Streep joked about her limited familiarity with the fashion world prior to the films, recalling her first-ever fashion show during the sequel's production in Milan, Italy. "I was so surprised by that. It is a theatrical event. The music is very loud and the models are so young and so thin, I just sat there wanting to feed them!" she says.

In China, The Devil Wears Prada 2 will be exclusively available in IMAX format, featuring screens more than 20 meters wide and 16 meters high.

"It's a romantic movie and our cinematographer Florian Ballhaus has done a wonderful job," Hathaway says. "I love that people are going to get to see all of these pinks and blues and all of the tones."

Also, "the costumes are so exquisite, especially what Meryl wears …So many of these things we only get to watch from afar, but some of these costumes are works of art, and you will be able to see them in a level of detail and scale never seen before."

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn