'The Devil Wears Prada 2' scores a stylish $233M debut
What's the story
The Devil Wears Prada 2 has made a stunning debut at the box office, raking in $77 million in North America during its opening weekend. This figure is significantly higher than the original film's domestic debut of $27.5 million in 2006 and marks the fourth biggest opening of the year after Michael ($97.5 million), The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131 million), and Project Hail Mary ($80 million). In India, it has collected ₹15.91cr gross and ₹13.35cr net in three days.
International success
International earnings boost sequel's success
The sequel also performed exceptionally well in international markets, earning an additional $156.6 million and bringing its total global earnings to $233.6 million for the weekend. The much-anticipated sequel has been mounted on $100 million (excluding global marketing spend), which is significantly more than the first film's production cost of about $40 million (not adjusted for inflation). Director David Frankel told The New York Times that most of the sequel's budget was allocated to the A-list cast.
Box office performance
Sequel on track to surpass original film's lifetime earnings
David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe, said, "Very few dramedies do this kind of business once, let alone a second time that's bigger." "Audiences, mostly female, can't get enough." The sequel is on track to surpass the original film's lifetime earnings in just weeks. The first film was based on Lauren Weisberg's 2003 novel about working as an assistant to Vogue boss Anna Wintour and has since become a cultural phenomenon.
Audience reception
Cast reunites for highly-anticipated sequel
The Devil Wears Prada 2 has benefited from nostalgia and the return of original cast members Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. Despite mixed reviews, audiences gave it an "A-" CinemaScore exit poll grade. The film's plot continues two decades later with Hathaway's Andy Sachs returning to Runway magazine as a features editor under Streep's powerful editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly.