Haydon Carter Gets His Devil Wears Prada Moment

Posted on August 17, 2006

Variety reports that the success of The Devil Wears Prada has spawned another film. The film is based on a book about Vanity Fair and its editor in chief, Haydon Carter.

Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead") has been cast to play self-promoting Brit writer Toby Young in the movie adaptation of his bestselling book "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People," in which he detailed his disastrous stint as a contributing editor for Vanity Fair in Gotham. Young is merciless about his own hapless attempts to ingratiate himself with celebrities and impress supermodels. But he is equally scathing about the ego and grandeur of his boss Carter, and the self-importance of the entire Vanity Fair machine.
All names have been changed for the purposes of the movie -- Vanity Fair becomes Sharps magazine, for example, and Carter will be Clayton Harding -- but that's not going to fool anyone. Robert Weide, director of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," will make his feature helming debut with the project, scripted by Peter Straughan. Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen of Number 9 Films are producing.
With Pegg now inked for the lead, casting is under way for the part of Carter -- sorry, Harding -- with a view to shooting in New York and the U.K. next spring.

Toby Young's book How to Lose Friends and Alienate People got good reviews, but will it play as well on the big screen as did The Devil Wears Prada? Prada had fashion, Meryl Streep and an ingenue to root for. In this book, the journalist drinks too much, offends everyone he meets and is hardly likable (although he is funny). We'll reserve judgment on this one for now.