Devil Wears Prada 2 Set to Shine at the Summer Box Office with Nearly $180M Opening Weekend – Here’s What to Expect

As the summer season kicks off, anticipation surrounds 20th Century Studios and Disney’s The Devil Wears Prada 2, which is positioned to maintain momentum at the box office following Lionsgate’s successful launch of Michael. Projections suggest that Prada 2 may achieve a domestic opening between $73 million and $80 million, with a potential global debut nearing $180 million.

With U.S. and Canada presales already at $20 million, the film is expected to make a robust start across 4,150 theaters. These advance sales outpace those of notable titles such as Amazon MGM Studios’ Project Hail Mary and Dune: Part Two. Directed by David Frankel, the sequel reunites franchise stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. The film is anticipated to resonate strongly with female audiences, potentially overshadowing fashion releases like Gucci’s spring collection. Despite the absence of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes thus far, the film’s momentum remains strong, with many speculating that even a negative critique from Anna Wintour would not hinder its box office success.

Typically, films targeting female audiences experience a frontloaded box office performance. However, there are hopes that the PG-13 rated Devil Wears Prada 2 will have sustained appeal, especially as its second weekend approaches Mother’s Day. Additionally, this weekend coincides with Labor Day in numerous Latin American and European markets, which may provide a further boost to international ticket sales.

Promoting the film are several key partners aiming to engage the 18-34 demographic, including L’Oreal, Dior—featuring prominently in the film—and Mercedes-Benz, alongside Diet Coke. Adding to the excitement, a new single titled “Runway” by Lady Gaga and Doechii, performed within the film, was released on Monday and has already garnered 3.1 million views on YouTube.

Devil Wears Prada 2 will dominate premium large-format screens, with approximately 1,000 locations booked, including all Dolbys, 100 ScreenX theaters, and over 200 D-Box/Motion screens. Previews are set to commence Thursday at 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, Lionsgate’s Michael continues to show strength at the box office, projected to maintain around a 50% decrease in its earnings this weekend, estimating between $45 million and $50 million and holding onto major Imax locations. Following its recent four-day total of $104.8 million, the film is performing well.

Jaafar Jackson in ‘Michael’

The summer film season is off to a strong start, with expectations that this weekend could mirror last year’s success, when Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts led a weekend that totaled $144.2 million in combined box office sales. As of this point in the year, total box office receipts have increased by 14% compared to the same period last year, with receipts amounting to $2.57 billion; last year’s figure concluded with an impressive $8.8 billion total.

Comparisons for Devil Wears Prada 2 in international markets present challenges. Universal’s Wicked opened with $73 million, though its overseas performance suffered due to limited recognition of the property. In contrast, Sex and the City 2 debuted with $50 million overseas in 2010. There appears to be greater nostalgia associated with Devil Wears Prada, originally based on Lauren Weisberger’s bestselling novel. She later wrote two sequels: 2013’s Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns, which has a plot diverging significantly from the film, and 2018’s When Life Gives You Lululemons.

The original Devil Wears Prada, released in 2006, proved especially popular in European markets, with the UK earning $26.5 million, Germany over $23 million, Italy at $19.3 million, Japan nearly $15 million, and Australia exceeding $11 million. The original film opened with $27.5 million domestically and ultimately grossed $124.7 million in the U.S. and $326.5 million worldwide. It also received two Academy Award nominations: for Meryl Streep’s lead performance and Patricia Field’s costume design.

In the U.S., additional films aiming for the box office include NEON’s horror film Hokum, which is showing at 2,000 theaters. The film currently holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Angel Studios is premiering an animated adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm at 2,500 locations, but it has a lower Rotten Tomatoes score of 29%. Bob Yari’s Magenta Light Studios is debuting Deep Water, directed by Renny Harlin, also in 2,000 theaters.