The Devil Wears Prada 2 has shattered box office expectations by surpassing its 2006 predecessor in both domestic and worldwide grosses in just 10 days of release, Disney confirmed this week. The fashion-world sequel earned $144.8 million domestically, eclipsing the original's $124.7 million lifetime total, and amassed $433.2 million worldwide compared to the first film's $326.5 million. The results represent one of the most successful sequel launches in recent Hollywood history and have firmly established the film as the standout hit of the 2026 summer movie season.
The sequel posted a commanding $77 million opening weekend when it debuted earlier this month, marking one of the biggest openings of 2026. Its second weekend proved equally impressive, pulling in $41 million to $43 million depending on estimates, a decline of less than 47 percent from its opening, which industry analysts described as exceptionally strong holdover performance. The film beat Mortal Kombat II for the top box office position during their head-to-head weekend, demonstrating broad audience appeal that extends well beyond the original's fan base.
Bringing back Meryl Streep as the imperious Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as the now-established fashion journalist Andy Sachs, the sequel updates the story for the digital media age. The film explores how the fashion industry has been disrupted by social media influencers and artificial intelligence, themes that have resonated strongly with audiences who grew up watching the original and now face similar professional upheavals in their own careers. Critics have praised the film for striking a balance between nostalgia and contemporary relevance, with several noting that the screenplay avoids the trap of merely recycling the original's plot points.
The international performance has been particularly noteworthy. The film topped the box office in South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and more than a dozen other markets during its second weekend, suggesting that the brand's appeal has only grown in the two decades since the original's release. Disney executives pointed to the global results as evidence that audiences remain hungry for character-driven stories with strong female leads, particularly when paired with high production values and recognizable intellectual property.
Industry observers have noted that the success of The Devil Wears Prada 2 carries significant implications for Hollywood's broader strategy of mining beloved properties for sequels. Unlike many legacy sequels that struggle to recapture the magic of their predecessors, this film has demonstrated that a thoughtful approach to updating a story for a new era can yield spectacular commercial results. The strong word-of-mouth, reflected in audience scores that exceed the original, suggests that the film's box office run is far from over, with analysts projecting a potential worldwide total exceeding $600 million by the end of its theatrical run.
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