“The Devil Wears Prada 2” had a massive opening weekend with $77 million domestic, and who could possibly have seen this coming except every Millennial woman ever?
It was a sign of confidence that Disney dated this 20th Century Studios legacy sequel on the same weekend usually earmarked for Marvel movies, but the popularity — nay, the passionate adoration — of the original all but guaranteed this thing was going to be big. The 2006 film is a heavily rewatched comfort movie for an entire generation, and the only question here is why it took Disney so long to make the sequel.
Indeed, Hollywood pumps male-driven follow-ups into theaters like an assembly line (see: “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jurassic World,” etc.), and it’s high time it tapped into the power of nostalgia from Millennial women.
The opening weekend number — fueled by a 76% female and 58% over 35 audience — is even more impressive considering “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is a compelling comedy, not a high-concept YA adaptation like “The Hunger Games” or IP twist like “Barbie.” It’s a pretty straightforward movie movie — you know, the kind Hollywood used to make all the time in the ’90s. And it’s a delight.
It also comes on the heels of a swell run for female-driven movies in theaters, as “The Housemaid” ($402 million worldwide) and “Wuthering Heights” ($242 million worldwide) both hit thanks to a majority female audience.
Now, try not to act too surprised when Warner Bros.’ “Practical Magic 2” is a huge hit this fall.
Box Office: ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Kicks Off Summer With $233 Million Global Opening
The first weekend of the summer box office is seeing an overall total of $174 million, a 19% increase over last year thanks to a strong opening weekend for 20th Century’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and a remarkable second weekend hold for Lionsgate/Universal’s “Michael.”
“Prada 2” leads the charts with a $77 million domestic and $233 million global opening, above the $74.3 million domestic/$160 million global start of last year’s summer kickoff film, Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts*.” The Meryl Streep/Anne Hathaway sequel needs roughly $535 million in global grosses to pass the inflation-adjusted theatrical run of the first “Devil Wears Prada,” which made $326.5 million before adjustment in 2006.
Italy, where much of “Devil Wears Prada 2” takes place, was the top international market for the film with a $16.6 million opening. It is followed by Brazil with $12.6 million, United Kingdom with $12 million and Mexico with $11.7 million.
Like its predecessor, “Devil Wears Prada 2” has been well received by both critics and audiences, earning an A- on CinemaScore and Rotten Tomatoes scores of 77% critics and 87% audience. As expected of a sequel to a 2000s dramedy aimed towards women, “Prada 2” had an audience share of 76% women with 58% over the age of 35.
“Michael,” meanwhile, dropped just 44% from its excellent $97 million opening for a $54 million second weekend. The overseas hold was even stronger with just a 21% drop to $80 million across all markets, bringing the film’s two-weekend total to $183.3 million domestic and $424 million worldwide. – Jeremy Fuster
The Spotlight
How big will this summer’s box office be? We could hit $4.2 billion, according to experts and our own Jeremy Fuster. Sure-things like Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” and Universal/Illumination’s “Minions” will be huge, but some curveballs like “Scary Movie 6” and YouTube sensation “The Amazing Digital Circus” could really elevate theaters. Read the full story here for a breakdown of the hits and what might miss.
New Releases
Letterboxd Saves Unreleased Films: Letterboxd was in the news this week with reports that it may be sold, but our own Casey Loving also took a deep dive into the cinephile-friendly social media site’s newly launched streaming platform.
Bidding War: TheWrap’s Umberto Gonzalez exclusively reported the five studios vying for Michael B. Jordan and Christopher McQuarrie’s “Battlefield” video game adaptation.
How to Get Into a Film Festival: Loving also wrote the next installment of our Trade Secrets series, this time offering expert advice on how to get your film into a festival.
Greta Gets 45 Days: Netflix pushed Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia” to February 2027, and in doing so announced a full-throated 45-day theatrical window for the streamer’s big fantasy adaptation, which now opens wide.
Oscars Ban AI: The Oscars announced a rule change that bans any AI performance or AI-assisted screenplay from qualification in its awards.
Making a Comfort Movie Sequel: How did “Devil Wears Prada 2” happen so quickly? Andi Ortiz spoke to screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna to find out.
55 Shoot Days Across 2 Years: Drew Taylor had a long, candid chat with “Mother Mary” filmmaker David Lowery about making — and extensively reworking — his haunting Anne Hathaway drama.
Concession Stand
After going public with how little money they made off of their groundbreaking original, the OG “Blair Witch” cast and filmmakers are coming back for Lionsgate/Blumhouse’s new reboot.
Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” looks terrific.
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is officially shorter than “Oppenheimer,” which clocked in at 3 hours.
LA production is up 10% from Fall 2025.
Is “The Sheep Detectives” the next “Paddington?” It’s at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Streaming Corner
- Yet another action hit for Netflix this week with the Charlize Theron/Taron Egerton thriller “Apex,” which follows a rock climber (Theron) being hunted through the Australian wilderness. The Netflix original film scored 38.2 million views in its first week, just a tad under the 39 million that “War Machine” scored in March and just a tad over the 37 million that shark thriller “Thrash” hit earlier in April. They’re on a roll.
What I’m Watching
We went to a sold-out showing of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” on Friday night with friends and had a blast. Emily Blunt is a hoot, and the evolution of Meryl Streep’s Miranda was fascinating in the face of a crumbling media landscape. I think what’s most impressive about the sequel — aside from the fact that they reassembled the entire filmmaking team and cast — is how well it captures the vibe of the first film. That’s what has kept people coming back to the original “Devil” over and over again, and there’s a warmth to the sequel even as it’s tackling some big and scary stuff.
