Devil Wears Prada 2 Hires Artist Over AI, Goes Viral

A brief scene in The Devil Wears Prada 2 just sparked a movement celebrating human artists over artificial intelligence.

The long-awaited sequel features Meryl Streep's iconic character Miranda Priestly facing a PR crisis complete with viral memes. One shows Priestly as a fast-food worker with the caption "Would you like lies with that?"

When the movie hit theaters on May 1, audiences naturally assumed the meme was AI-generated. After all, that's what internet trolls use in 2026, right?

Digital artist Alexis Franklin had other news. She took to social media to reveal that director David Frankel specifically hired her to create the artwork by hand.

Franklin posted a timelapse of her digital painting process on Instagram. "Absolutely no disrespect to Queen Meryl, but this is something I would've painted in my free time, so when they asked me to do this it was nothing but fun," she wrote.

The revelation struck a chord. Franklin's post on X racked up 3.7 million views as social media erupted in celebration.

She explained why she shared her work publicly. "I figured I'd also post it here because I think these companies should get their flowers when they hire an artist," Franklin wrote.

The Ripple Effect

The story resonated far beyond one artist's paycheck. Moviegoers praised the film's production team for practicing what they preached—the Devil Wears Prada sequel carries a pro-artistry message throughout.

The timing couldn't be more meaningful. Artists across industries face uncertainty as AI tools flood creative spaces, often mimicking human work without credit or compensation.

By choosing a human artist even when AI would have made sense for the plot, the filmmakers sent a powerful message. Real creativity matters, even in an age of instant digital generation.

The viral response proves something important: people can spot the difference, and they care deeply about supporting human artists. Franklin's revelation triggered relief and joy across social media platforms.

Her work reminds us that behind every piece of art worth celebrating stands a real person with skills honed through practice, passion, and dedication. In a world rushing toward automation, that human touch still means everything.