Almost every movie season, there is an actor that is in everything. Usually this is some newly touted talent or ingenue. But sometimes, it is just a familiar face. Anne Hathaway has been out of the spotlight a bit, sporadically turning up in projects from time to time. However, she has five major projects that will be hitting screens throughout 2026. All of which are wildly different in tone and context. Here are just the first two on display at the present moment.
David Lowery’s Mother Mary claims it is not a ghost story and that is only half true. The A24 release sees Anne as the titular pop-star in the midst of a nervous breakdown. Unable to perform or feel comfortable even posing in her couture, Mary leaves her concert tour. She flies to England seeking out Sam Anselm, a fashion designer who as we learn helped develop Mary signature style. Played with beautiful gravitas by Michaela Coel, we clearly see the complicated history between these two. By the midpoint, the film becomes mostly a two-hander. Mary and Sam circle each other, physically and metaphorically, in a barn turned design studio as a storm rages outside.
Lowery, not one for subtlety, hits every emotional clique by the finale. The effortless storytelling found in A Ghost Story and The Green Knight seems to have evaporated to a degree. That said, I was never looking at my watch but instead went along for the ride. Especially in moments like when singer FKA Twigs shows up as a medium, whose seance we see in flashback psychologically (and literally) scars Mary. Her contribution also extends to the soundtrack who along with Charli xcx and Jack Antonoff, make the most of this part-concert film. Lowery claims he was inspired partly from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Lady Gaga’s Monsters Ball for the story and sequences. This is evident in both Hathaway’s performance and her voice. Anne has shown herself a capable singer; her Oscar was won with it. And that is where this film’s strengths lie.
In the end, I was reminded on how much stylists and artists collaborate to create a wholly (Holy?) complete experience for the audience. Cher and Bob Mackie, Grace Jones and Eiko Ishioka; these partnerships and others facilitated great art. Here, not great but engaging art was made.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 needs little introduction. The “chick flick” that could, it was only a matter of time before parent company Disney found a way to capitalize. There is no need to bore you with the details. Suffice it to say, the gang is back together because of the downsizing of print media and journalism (timely, I know). And this is what brings Andrea Sacks back into Miranda Priestly’s sphere of influence. Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt return to reprieve their roles, in many of the same beats as the first. There are a lot of new characters but they feel more like plot devices than human beings, means to an ending.
One key component that makes this not a half-hearted attempt is the inclusion of director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna. Their contributions help keep the film from veering off into complete fan service and cheap nostalgia. But this what this film is ultimately.
Looking back on the original, I remember working at H&M and feeling fresh eyed and new in the world. The first film was a breath of fresh air in a post-9/11 world that was more than just based on “chick lit.” It was a story of a new generation coming to the big city and learning how to grow up and navigate. It felt scrappy even as a glimpse into a glamorous life. And that dialogue is still quotable even today. This sequel is just as glossy as a Vogue cover without the depth of one of its articles, right down to Florian Ballhaus’s rich cinematic camera work. Lady Gaga commits to the bit with NYC ballroom and drag queen energy on the soundtrack. It is a fun time, but like spring florals; not groundbreaking.
