Devil Wears Prada 2 Director Addresses Nate's Absence in Sequel
Director David Frankel has provided a detailed explanation for the absence of Adrian Grenier's character Nate in the highly anticipated sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2. This comes after Grenier himself expressed his disappointment at not being invited back for the new film, which reunites the original core cast including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci.
Timing Issues Prevent Planned Cameo
Speaking exclusively to Entertainment Weekly, Frankel revealed that he had actually planned to include Grenier in a cameo appearance. "I had an idea about sneaking him into a cameo, and, in the end, it was just too late in our production schedule to make it happen," the director explained. When pressed for details about the nature of the planned cameo, Frankel declined to elaborate, stating simply: "No, I probably shouldn't say."
Frankel did express his appreciation for Grenier's recent Starbucks commercial, which humorously addressed the situation. "I think I'm thrilled that [Grenier] did a Starbucks commercial, which was really funny and so self-effacing. I love the humility and the comedy of it!" Frankel added enthusiastically.
Grenier's Response and Fan Backlash
The 49-year-old actor, best known for his role in Entourage, recently appeared in that Starbucks advertisement for the coffee chain's new energy refreshers. In the commercial, Grenier quipped: "Let's leave Nate back in 2006 and keep this good energy going."
Last month, Grenier had already addressed his exclusion from the sequel in an interview with Page Six, stating: "Obviously, it was a disappointment that I didn't get the call to be in the sequel, but I also understand there's some backlash with Nate, the character, so that might have something to do with it." He went on to suggest that "just leaves room for a spinoff."
Nate has indeed been a divisive character among fans since the original 2006 film's release. His lack of support for Andy's demanding career at the fictional Runway magazine made him unpopular with many viewers. Although the couple ultimately broke up at the end of the first movie, Nate briefly returned to inform Andy that he would be moving from New York to Chicago.
Additional Casting Changes Revealed
In related casting news, it was revealed earlier this week that Sydney Sweeney's cameo in The Devil Wears Prada 2 has also been cut. The Euphoria star had filmed a scene with Emily Blunt last year that was originally set to appear at the beginning of the movie. According to reports, a "creative decision" was made to remove the scene after it was determined that it did not work structurally with the final version of the movie's sequence.
Entertainment Weekly reported that while Sweeney's scene won't appear in the final cut, the film's crew remains grateful that The White Lotus alum participated in the shoot.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is scheduled to premiere in theaters on May 1, bringing back the beloved characters from the original film while explaining the absence of some familiar faces through production realities and creative decisions.
