Emily in Prada

Emily Blunt slips back into the stilettos of everyone's favourite Emily in The Devil Wears Prada 2. From stuttering schoolgirl to Hollywood's queen of conflicted women, she has proven she's in a league of her own.

- By Eleanor le Riche

When news broke that The Devil Wears Prada 2 was officially in production, the internet lost its collective mind. Eighteen years after Miranda Priestly pursed her lips and Emily Charlton snapped, 'Okay, I am hearing this... And I wanna hear this,' the world's most stylish workplace is back.

Filming is under way in Paris, and from the paparazzi shots we've seen, the fashion is truly next level: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci have returned (not that Tucci had any choice – his real-life sister-in-law wouldn't have it), and Kenneth Branagh will be playing Miranda Priestly's husband (yes, that husband).

Joining the cast are Lucy Liu, Simone Ashley, Pauline Chalamet, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, Conrad Ricamora, Helen J. Shen and Caleb Hearon. And, of course, Emily Blunt is returning to play her namesake – the gloriously caustic assistant who ran on caffeine, cubes of cheese, spite and the faint hope of going to Paris. 'Playing Emily again feels like slipping into a deranged pair of old slippers. She's insane, and I love her,' Emily says.

In the sequel, Miranda's once overworked assistant has evolved into a formidable PR shark, running her own agency and butting heads with the next generation of Runway rebels. 'Of course, I'm not allowed to talk about it,' Emily says. 'But getting back to Emily has been... wild. I'll say that.'

GROWING UP BLUNT

Emily Olivia Leah Blunt was born in London in 1983, the middle child of Joanna, a former actress and teacher, and Oliver, a barrister. She grew up in a lively household with an older sister, Felicity (yes, Mrs Stanley Tucci) – who'd go on to become a literary agent – and younger siblings Sebastian (whom you might recognise as Prince Edward in Season 6 of The Crown) and Susannah, a veterinarian and, as Emily proudly notes, 'an incredible opera singer'. They were encouraged to chase their own passions.