Two decades after Miranda Priestly first terrified assistants on the big screen, the highly anticipated return to the offices of Runway magazine has proved an irresistible draw for cinema-goers.
Disney’s The Devil Wears Prada 2 has smashed industry forecasts, securing a spectacular $233.6 mln in global ticket sales during its opening weekend, Variety reports. The massive turnout proves that the appetite for high-stakes fashion drama is stronger than ever.
Shattering original records
In North America alone, the fashion-forward sequel strutted away with $77 mln. This phenomenal debut vastly outshines the $27.5 mln domestic launch of the 2006 original. It currently stands as the fourth-highest opening of the year in the region, sitting comfortably behind Michael ($97.5 mln), The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131 mln) and Project Hail Mary ($80 mln).
International audiences contributed a massive $156.6 mln to the weekend tally. Box office analyst David A. Gross from FranchiseRe highlighted the rarity of this achievement, pointing out that comedy-dramas seldom reach these financial heights once, let alone manage to grow their audience so significantly for a second instalment.
A costly but lucrative reunion
Bringing back the beloved quartet of Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci did not come cheap. Disney’s 20th Century Studios poured approximately $100 mln into the production budget, a steep increase from the $40 mln spent on the first picture.
Director David Frankel recently confirmed that the bulk of these funds went directly towards securing the star-studded ensemble. However, this hefty price tag is already paying dividends for the studio. The sequel is rocketing towards surpassing the original film’s entire $326 mln lifetime gross within just a few weeks.
Nostalgia drives audience approval
Re-teaming Frankel with original screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, the new narrative flashes forward twenty years. Fans catch up with Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs as she bravely returns to the cutthroat fashion world, this time serving as a features editor under Streep’s legendary editor-in-chief.
Despite a lukewarm reception from some film critics, paying audiences were thrilled and awarded the picture a stellar «A-» on CinemaScore exit polls. The Devil Wears Prada 2 leans heavily into the enduring cultural footprint of its predecessor, a movie that gave pop culture unforgettable moments like the legendary cerulean jumper monologue.
The impact of the 2006 film has barely faded; Emily Blunt previously joked that she hasn’t gone a single week without a fan quoting «gird your loins» to her over the last twenty years.
The rest of the cinema charts
With no other major studio releases daring to counter-programme against the Prada juggernaut, the remainder of the chart was filled by returning favourites.
Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael held strong in second place. Taking a mere 44% dip in its second weekend on the big screen, the musical drama added $54 mln to its coffers. This pushes its impressive worldwide total to a commanding $423 mln, with $183.8 mln of that coming directly from North American cinemas.
