Two decades after the beloved original, the sequel, “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” has made a remarkable debut, amassing approximately $77 million in the U.S. and Canada and $156.6 million internationally during its opening weekend, according to studio estimates from Sunday. The film has successfully topped the box office charts, pushing the Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael,” to second place. The latter film displayed resilience in its second weekend, experiencing only a 44% drop in attendance.
Produced by The Walt Disney Company’s 20th Century Studios, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” was launched in 4,150 theaters across North America. Exit polls by PostTrak show that women comprised a striking 76% of ticket buyers, with 74% indicating they would “definitely recommend” the flick to friends. Critics, however, exhibited a mixed response to the sequel. The film sees Anne Hathaway reprising her role as Andy Sachs, once again under the demanding gaze of Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly, set against a backdrop of a significantly compromised media landscape.
While the sequel’s production budget ballooned to an estimated $100 million—a substantial increase from the $35 million budget of the original—filmmaker David Frankel has noted that paying top-tier stars often leads to similar overall production costs. The star-studded cast, including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, participated in an extensive global promotional tour, showcasing their glamour in cities like Tokyo, London, and New York. Even Anna Wintour, the inspiration behind the character of Miranda Priestly, has made appearances with Hathaway during the Oscars and with Streep on the cover of Vogue.
The first “The Devil Wears Prada,” released in June 2006, ultimately grossed over $326 million worldwide, unadjusted for inflation, and the film ingrained itself into pop culture with its memorable quotes, such as “gird your loins” and “that’s all.” The nostalgia surrounding the sequel has driven significant anticipation, evidenced by a 428% surge in streaming viewership for the original film from March to April 2026, as reported by Nielsen.
In a remarkable performance, the biopic “Michael” raked in $54 million in its second weekend in North America, maintaining strong momentum across 3,955 screens—a feat that contributed to its impressive global total of $423.9 million thus far. Lionsgate’s chairman, Adam Fogelson, expressed satisfaction with the box office outcome, acknowledging that new blockbuster films do not necessarily displace established successes.
This weekend symbolizes the commencement of Hollywood’s summer movie season, an essential 18-week stretch that runs through Labor Day and typically contributes to around 40% of the annual box office revenue. Although blockbuster titles from Marvel usually mark the seasonal start, the combined performance of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Michael” provided a viable alternative for moviegoers looking for entertainment.
According to Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Comscore, this weekend was substantial, suggesting that audiences are gravitating towards light, escapist content. Interestingly, “Prada” outperformed last summer’s Marvel film, “Thunderbolts,” in box office revenue.
In addition to “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Michael,” several other films premiered over the weekend, including the Adam Scott-led horror flick “Hokum,” Andy Serkis’s animated adaptation of “Animal Farm,” and the survival drama “Deep Water,” featuring Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley. Notably, “Hokum” emerged as the top newcomer, earning $6.4 million, while “Animal Farm” managed only $3.4 million, and “Deep Water” opened with $2.2 million.
Overall, the box office figures indicate a promising upward trend, with the current annual sales up 14% compared to last year, translating to approximately $2.8 billion in domestic ticket sales to date. The top 10 box office rankings reflect this dynamic weekend:
- 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.
These insights reflect not only the box office landscape for this weekend but also the evolving preferences of moviegoers as they seek out both nostalgia and new narratives on the big screen.
