The Devil Wears Prada 2 Box Office Debut Stuns Hollywood with $77 Million Opening

The Devil Wears Prada 2 box office numbers have officially turned heads in Hollywood. Two decades after the original captivated audiences, the long-awaited sequel made a strong impression in its opening weekend, drawing massive crowds and dominating the charts. Powered largely by enthusiastic female moviegoers, the film pulled in $77 million across the United States and Canada, while raking in an additional $156.6 million from international markets, according to studio estimates released Sunday.

A Confident Return to the Spotlight

The fashion-forward sequel comfortably claimed the top spot at the weekend box office, knocking the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” down to second place. Despite the new arrival, “Michael” managed to hold its ground impressively in its second weekend, only experiencing a 44% drop in earnings.

Released by 20th Century Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Co., “The Devil Wears Prada 2” opened in 4,150 theaters across North America. Audience research from PostTrak revealed that women made up roughly 76% of those who bought tickets, and an impressive 74% said they would strongly recommend the film to their friends. While critics offered a mixed reception to the sequel, fans appeared eager to revisit the world of fashion, ambition, and sharp-tongued bosses.

A Bigger Budget but Familiar Faces

In the new installment, Anne Hathaway returns as Andy Sachs, who once again finds herself working under Meryl Streep’s iconic Miranda Priestly at the fictional “Runway” magazine. This time, however, the story takes place in a media industry that has changed dramatically over the years.

The production cost of the sequel reached approximately $100 million, a significant jump from the original’s $35 million budget. As director David Frankel humorously explained in a recent interview with The Associated Press, much of that increase was eaten up by paying some of the biggest stars in the world, leaving the actual filmmaking budget surprisingly close to that of the first movie.

A Star-Studded Promotional Tour

Leading up to the release, Streep, Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci embarked on an extensive global press tour, making glamorous appearances in cities such as Tokyo, London, and New York. Even Anna Wintour, the legendary Vogue editor whose persona partly inspired Miranda Priestly, played a role in the promotional buzz this time around. She joined Hathaway on stage at the Oscars and shared a Vogue cover with Streep.

The original “The Devil Wears Prada,” released in June 2006, became a cultural phenomenon and went on to earn more than $326 million worldwide, without adjusting for inflation. Memorable lines such as “gird your loins,” “groundbreaking,” and “that’s all” cemented its place in pop culture. According to Nielsen, streaming views of the original film surged 428% between March and April 2026, signaling massive renewed interest just before the sequel hit theaters.

Michael Jackson Biopic Holds Strong

Lionsgate’s “Michael,” the much-anticipated biopic about the King of Pop, took the runner-up position with $54 million earned in its second weekend. The film is currently showing in 3,955 theaters across North America, and its global total has already climbed to an impressive $423.9 million. Universal Pictures is overseeing the international rollout for the title.

Adam Fogelson, chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, expressed satisfaction with the film’s performance, especially given the heavy competition. He noted that despite expectations that “Prada” would dominate, “Michael” proved that strong, established films can still draw audiences. According to Fogelson, the long-held belief that a major new release will automatically push earlier hits aside is often inaccurate.

Summer Movie Season Officially Begins

This weekend marked the kickoff of Hollywood’s summer movie season, an 18-week stretch that runs through Labor Day and typically accounts for nearly 40% of the entire year’s box office revenue. Traditionally, Marvel blockbusters launch the season, but this year, the combined performance of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Michael” provided a powerful and refreshing alternative.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore, called it a remarkably strong start to the season. He noted that the duo of films offered an irresistible combination that filled the gap left by the absence of a Marvel summer kickoff. In fact, “Prada” alone outperformed last year’s Marvel summer opener, “Thunderbolts,” highlighting how audiences are responding to a wider variety of storytelling.

Other New Releases and Box Office Standings

Several other new films also hit theaters this weekend. These included the Adam Scott horror feature “Hokum,” Andy Serkis’s animated take on “Animal Farm,” and the survival drama “Deep Water” starring Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley. However, none of them came close to challenging the top performers.

Holdovers continued to perform well, with “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” earning $12.1 million in its fifth weekend and “Project Hail Mary” pulling in $8.6 million in its seventh weekend. Among the new releases, “Hokum” led with $6.4 million, followed by the poorly reviewed “Animal Farm” at $3.4 million, and “Deep Water” with a modest $2.2 million.

Audiences Hungry for Escapism

According to Dergarabedian, audiences have shown a clear preference for lighthearted, escapist entertainment in recent months. The top four films of the weekend reflect that growing trend.

The North American box office is currently performing about 14% better than last year, with domestic ticket sales reaching approximately $2.8 billion so far. With strong momentum from “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Michael,” the summer movie season is off to a stylish and confident start.