The Devil Wears Prada 2 has opened at number one at the North American box office, taking in $77 million (approximately R1.28 billion) in its debut weekend — a strong commercial vindication of the decision to revisit a film that has only grown in cultural resonance since 2006.
The sequel reunites Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, with returning director David Frankel at the helm. The story picks up with Hathaway’s character returning to work under Miranda Priestly as their fashion magazine faces an existential crisis — a premise that feels, if anything, more timely than the original.
Industry analyst David A. Gross described the opening as sensational for a comedy drama, noting that the film’s themes of power, image and success are more recognisable and relevant today than when the first film arrived.
The rest of the top five
The Michael Jackson biopic Michael, which had opened to $97 million the previous weekend, dropped to second place with $54 million. The film has now crossed $423 million at the global box office in just two weekends.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie held third with $12.1 million, taking its North American cumulative total past $400 million and its global earnings toward $900 million. Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, came in fourth with $8.6 million and has now earned over $625 million worldwide. Irish indie horror Hokum rounded out the top five with $6.4 million, earning strong notices from critics and audiences alike.
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Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour reunite for an iconic Vogue cover ahead of Devil Wears Prada 2
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