In a recent weekend box office showdown of sequels, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” emerged victorious over “Mortal Kombat II” in North American theaters. Studio estimates released on Sunday revealed that “The Devil Wears Prada 2” raked in an impressive $43 million during its second weekend, while “Mortal Kombat II” earned $40 million in its opening weekend.
This weekend also showcased a variety of newcomers, including the family-oriented whodunnit “The Sheep Detectives” and a concert film co-directed by James Cameron featuring Billie Eilish. However, it was “The Devil Wears Prada 2” that managed to hold its ground, grossing a total of $433.2 million worldwide in its first 12 days of release. The film's success also contributed to The Walt Disney Studios surpassing $2 billion globally for the year, highlighting its performance against its predecessor, which earned $327 million in 2006, not taking inflation into account.
Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Comscore, noted that the timing of the release may have provided an edge for “Prada,” particularly with Mother’s Day potentially boosting its audience turnout. Dergarabedian remarked, “The release date was perfect. This may be the new blueprint for how to start a summer.”
On the other hand, “Mortal Kombat II” offered a gendered counterprogramming option in the second weekend of Hollywood’s summer movie season. Warner Bros. released the film in 3,503 locations, greatly attracting a male audience, with PostTrak reporting that 75% of the ticket buyers were men. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” experienced nearly the opposite gender breakdown over its opening weekend, demonstrating the contrasting demographics of the two films.
The initial release of “Mortal Kombat” happened in April 2021, coinciding with its availability on HBO Max. Mixed reviews have plagued its sequel, which achieved a B CinemaScore, and it earned $23 million from 78 international markets, culminating in a $63 million global debut.
Meanwhile, the biopic “Michael” secured the third spot in its third weekend, pulling in an additional $36.5 million, marking a modest 33% decrease from the previous weekend. The film has since earned $240.5 million in North America, surpassing the domestic totals of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and reaching a global gross of $577.4 million.
In fourth place, Amazon MGM Studios’ “The Sheep Detectives” debuted with $15.9 million across 3,457 theaters during its opening weekend. The quirky all-ages murder mystery features a star-studded cast, including Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, and Nicholas Braun, alongside voice talents such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Patrick Stewart. The film received an A- CinemaScore from audiences and has a reported production cost of $75 million.
Finally, rounding out the top five was “Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard & Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” an immersive concert experience co-directed by Eilish and James Cameron. Released by Paramount in 2,613 theaters, the film garnered $7.5 million domestically and $12.6 million internationally. Critics gave the film high praise, achieving a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences rated it with an A CinemaScore.
Established favorites from previous weekends, “Project Hail Mary” in its eighth weekend and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” in its sixth, continue performing robustly. These strong showings contributed to a weekend performance that significantly outperformed the same weekend from the previous year. Dergarabedian stated that films capturing new and repeat audiences week after week are those that deliver “pure, escapist entertainment,” which appears to be greatly benefitting movie theaters at this time.
Below is a summary of the top films by domestic box office earnings, including estimated ticket sales from Friday through Sunday across U.S. and Canadian theaters according to Comscore:
- 1. “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” $43 million.
- 2. “Mortal Kombat II,” $40 million.
- 3. “Michael,” $36.5 million.
- 4. “The Sheep Detectives,” $15.9 million.
- 5. “Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard & Soft: The Tour,” $7.5 million.
- 6. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” $6.6 million.
- 7. “Project Hail Mary,” $6.1 million.
- 8. “Hokum,” $3.3 million.
- 9. “Deep Water,” $780,274.
- 10. “Animal Farm,” $663,624.
