‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ gains applause for hiring human artist for AI meme
'The Devil Wears Prada 2' is now playing in cinemas
As The Devil Wears Prada 2 makes its grand entrance into theaters this weekend, the eagerly awaited follow-up is garnering unexpected attention for what seems to be an AI-inspired meme of Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestley in the film, which a real-life artist actually designed.
On the movie’s launch day, artist Alexis Franklin showcased her creation for the film, a piece depicting Miranda as a fast-food employee, styled to mimic AI art. “Would you like some lies with that?” the meme humorously asks.
“I was invited by [director] David Frankel to create this for The Devil Wears Prada 2 (it’s featured in the film),” Franklin shared on Instagram, offering fans a time-lapse of her artistic journey.
“I mean no disrespect to the incredible Meryl, but this is something I would've likely painted for fun, so being asked to do this was pure joy.”
In an era where generative AI seems to loom large over the arts, the mere choice to hire a human artist for a task that could easily have been done with a few words, is being applauded across social media. “The standards have truly fallen,” one admirer remarked candidly.
In the comments, a follower celebrated, “So nice to see something not done by AI.”
On X (formerly Twitter), someone reacted, “OMG, this was actually made by an artist??? And it’s designed to look like AI art?”
“They essentially gave AI the middle finger!!!! Everyone was cheering,” another posted.
“I’m currently fascinated by the faux AI artwork used to critique AI in The Devil Wears Prada. Seriously, they hired an artist to create something that looks like AI art…. This movie is knocking it out of the park,” an enthusiastic viewer wrote.
On Saturday, Franklin mentioned being “overwhelmed with comments expressing relief that this scene in The Devil Wears Prada 2 was crafted by a genuine human (me),” adding that “companies should receive their due recognition when they employ an artist.”
“The standards have truly fallen,” a fan echoed on X.
Now playing in cinemas, The Devil Wears Prada 2 marks the stylish comeback of Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestley, Anne Hathaway as Andi Sachs, Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton, and Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling, as the beloved characters navigate the challenging world of waning print media.
Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman reprise their roles from the 2006 Aline Brosh McKenna-scripted classic, with Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, Pauline Chalamet, Rachel Bloom, Patrick Brammall, Conrad Ricamora, and Lady Gaga also joining the ensemble cast.