After two decades, “The Devil Wears Prada” has made its highly anticipated return to theaters with a sequel, “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” In its opening weekend, the film performed exceptionally well, raking in $77 million in the U.S. and Canada and an impressive $156.6 million internationally, according to studio estimates. This strong performance placed it firmly at the top of the box office, surpassing the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” which landed in second place.
The sequel, produced by The Walt Disney Co.’s 20th Century Studios, hit 4,150 theaters across North America. Interestingly, women made up about 76% of the audience, with 74% of them stating they would “definitely recommend” the film. This demographic trend is not surprising given the original film’s strong appeal among female viewers.
While the movie cost around $100 million to produce—significantly higher than the original’s $35 million budget—filmmaker David Frankel noted that securing top talent often results in similar production costs as seen in the first installment.
The star-studded cast, including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, engaged in a glamorous promotional tour spanning Tokyo, London, and New York. Even Anna Wintour, the real-life inspiration behind Streep’s character, made appearances alongside Hathaway at the Oscars and on the cover of “Vogue,” adding to the film’s buzz.
The original “The Devil Wears Prada” debuted in June 2006 and grossed over $326 million worldwide, becoming a cultural touchstone with memorable lines that still resonate today. Anticipation for the sequel was heightened, with streaming viewership of the original film surging by 428% in the months leading up to its release.
In second place, “Michael,” the biopic about Michael Jackson, earned $54 million in its second weekend, contributing to its impressive worldwide total of $423.9 million. The film is distributed internationally by Universal Pictures.
This weekend marks the kickoff of Hollywood’s summer movie season—a vital period that can account for about 40% of annual box office revenue. Traditionally, this season features blockbuster hits, often from the Marvel franchise, but the combination of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Michael” has proven to be a strong alternative.
According to Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Comscore, “This is a really solid weekend,” highlighting the appeal of escapist entertainment among moviegoers. In fact, “Prada” outperformed last year’s summer kickoff Marvel film, “Thunderbolts,” demonstrating its strong draw.
Several other new films also debuted this weekend, but they were overshadowed by the success of “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” Among them were the horror movie “Hokum,” the animated adaptation of “Animal Farm,” and the survival drama “Deep Water.” “Hokum” led the newcomers with $6.4 million, while “Animal Farm” and “Deep Water” opened with $3.4 million and $2.2 million, respectively.
As the summer movie season unfolds, the box office is currently performing 14% better than last year, with approximately $2.8 billion in domestic ticket sales reported to date.
Here’s a summary of the top movies at the box office:
1. “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” $77 million.
2. “Michael,” $54 million.
3. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” $12.1 million.
4. “Project Hail Mary,” $8.6 million.
5. “Hokum,” $6.4 million.
6. “Animal Farm,” $3.4 million.
7. “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” $2.2 million.
8. “Deep Water,” $2.2 million.
9. “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea,” $1 million.
10. “The Drama,” $908,303.
