The relaunch of Runway is finally here, but one key player is missing. The Devil Wears Prada star Adrian Grenier has addressed why he is not back in the highly anticipated sequel.
Twenty years after the fashionable modern classic originally hit cinemas, a long-awaited sequel is finally coming to screens and is all set to become one of this spring's biggest blockbusters. Anne Hathaway is back as Andy Sachs, along with Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, and, of course, Meryl Streep as the iconic and ruthless Runway editor Miranda Priestley. This time around, Andy is the magazine's new Features Editor, despite the fact that Miranda seemingly has no clue they have already worked together all those years ago.
Many fans are also keen to forget another element of the original film: Andy's long-suffering boyfriend Nate, played by Grenier, who begged her to quit her Runway position due to Miranda's mistreatment. Nate has since become one of the most controversial characters in The Devil Wears Prada due to some fans believing he selfishly hijacks Andy's career. While they do break up in the first film, it concludes with the pair meeting up and agreeing to stay in touch, leading some to believe their romance could later flourish. However, that does not seem to be the case in the much-anticipated sequel. Twenty years later, Andy has a new love interest in the form of newcomer to the franchise, Peter, played by Patrick Brammall. This means Nate was written out of the sequel to explore a new romance for Andy, although the filmmakers did originally intend to address their storyline head-on.
Director David Frankel, who returned for the sequel after helming the 2006 classic, revealed he did in fact consider the possibility of Nate making a guest 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,” he explained to Entertainment Weekly. He also noted that filming for the sequel was completed less than a month before its slated release date, so their packed production schedule did not allow time for a last-minute walk-on.
Grenier has admitted it was a “disappointment” when The Hollywood Reporter confirmed in July last year that he would not be reprising his role as Nate. “We're all fans of the movie, whether or not we were in it,” he said to Page Six at the time. “Obviously, it was a disappointment that I didn't get the call to be in the sequel. But I also understand there was some backlash with Nate, the character, so that might have something to do with it.” He recently appeared in an advert for Starbucks, where he cheekily nods towards Nate being written out of the sequel. “You might have seen the headlines — I wasn't asked to be part of a certain sequel. But I'm good. Really. It's all good energy,” he says. “So a toast to Nate. He made a mean sandwich. He loved his girlfriend, to a point. He wasn't perfect. So let's leave Nate in 2006 and keep this good energy going.” The Devil Wears Prada 2 is in UK cinemas now.
