‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Looks to Top Weekend Box Office Following $10 Million in Thursday Screening Revenue

Why It Matters

The strong opening underscores the commercial power of legacy franchises and star‑driven comedies, reshaping revenue forecasts for studios during the early summer window. It also highlights how format choices like IMAX can tip the competitive balance between high‑profile releases.

Key Takeaways

• Prada 2 aims for $80M North American opening, $175M worldwide.
• Previews earned $10M, boosting early momentum.
• Michael retains IMAX advantage, but may slip to #2.
• Disney's sequel underscores value of established IPs.
• Competing releases collectively add $31M to weekend totals.

Pulse Analysis

Legacy sequels continue to dominate the box‑office landscape, and The Devil Wears Prada 2 exemplifies this trend. With Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt returning after two decades, the film leverages both nostalgic appeal and star power to generate a $10 million preview haul—an impressive early indicator of audience enthusiasm. Analysts project an $80 million North American opening, positioning the movie to outpace the $52 million second‑weekend earnings of Lionsgate’s Michael, a biopic that has benefited from IMAX screens but may lack the broad demographic reach of a comedy‑drama hybrid.

The competition between Prada 2 and Michael highlights how release formats influence box‑office dynamics. While Michael’s IMAX presence adds premium‑ticket revenue, Prada 2’s wide‑screen rollout without IMAX suggests confidence in its mass‑appeal draw. Overlap in target audiences—particularly adult females and older millennials—could split ticket sales, yet the sequel’s higher projected total indicates studios are betting on franchise familiarity over niche fan bases. This weekend also showcases the staying power of non‑franchise titles; The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Project Hail Mary together contribute over $20 million, reinforcing the importance of diversified slate strategies.

Looking ahead, the weekend’s results may set the tone for the summer season. A strong opening for Prada 2 could encourage studios to fast‑track other legacy properties, while a dip for Michael might signal waning interest in pure biopic offerings without broader appeal. Moreover, the modest earnings of smaller releases like Animal Farm and Hokum suggest that mid‑tier films will need strategic release windows or streaming partnerships to capture audience attention. Overall, the box‑office battle underscores the evolving calculus of star power, franchise equity, and format selection in an increasingly competitive theatrical market.