Devil Wears Prada 2 tops weekend $43M

Box office stories are usually about the new movie. This weekend, the bigger story was the hold. *The Devil Wears Prada 2* stayed on top in North America with $43 million in its second weekend, just ahead of *Mortal Kombat II* at $40 million. That matters because second weekends tell you whether opening-weekend hype was real or just front-loaded fandom. In this case, it looks real. ### Why is the second weekend the real test? An opening can come from marketing, curiosity, and fans rushing out early. Weekend two is harsher. If a movie collapses, theaters and studios know word of mouth is weak. *Prada 2* dropped 44% from its $77 million domestic debut, which is a sturdy hold for a big studio sequel. That pushed its domestic total to $144.8 million after just 11 days. (usnews.com) ### Why is beating Mortal Kombat II a big deal? Because *Mortal Kombat II* was the fresh wide opener and nearly won anyway. New releases often take the crown by default. Instead, *Prada 2* held them off. The margin was small, but the signal was clear — the fashion sequel wasn’t just surviving on nostalgia from 2006. It was still pulling a broad audience in week two while a franchise action movie arrived with heavy fan interest. (deadline.com) ### So was Mortal Kombat II weak? Not exactly, but it was softer than a lot of sequel hype suggested. Its domestic opening landed at $40 million, and its worldwide start was about $63 million. That is a decent launch, but not the kind that instantly resets the market. The catch is that action follow-ups usually want a cleaner win when they open against a holdover. Finishing second on opening weekend changes the tone. (usnews.com) ### What made Prada 2 look especially strong? The overseas number. The movie added $75.8 million internationally in 51 territories this weekend, bringing its global total to $433.2 million. That means the sequel already blew past the entire worldwide run of the 2006 original, which finished at about $326 million. Basically, this is no longer a “surprisingly good sequel launch” story. It’s a genuine breakout. (deadline.com) ### Why does Disney care so much? Because theatrical wins like this are rare enough now that every one carries extra weight. *Prada 2* helped push Disney past $2 billion worldwide for 2026, making it the first studio to cross that mark this year. A movie built around an older adult-skewing brand doing this well also broadens the studio playbook. Not every hit has to be a superhero movie or an animated sequel. (deadline.com) ### What does this say about the audience? Turns out people will absolutely show up for a legacy sequel if the package feels event-size. The returning cast helped — Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci — but the real proof is the hold. Audiences didn’t just sample it on opening weekend. They kept going, which usually means strong word of mouth and repeat business. (deadline.com) ### Where does Michael fit in? *Michael* didn’t win the weekend, but it still looked big in the broader race. By Monday, *The Numbers* had it at about $245.5 million domestic total, showing it remains a major earner even as newer releases crowd the market. So the weekend wasn’t really about one movie crushing everyone else. It was about a crowded field where *Prada 2* still came out on top. (variety.com) ### Bottom line? A $43 million second weekend is the kind of result that changes how Hollywood reads a movie. *The Devil Wears Prada 2* is not coasting on brand recognition anymore — it’s performing like one of the year’s real theatrical hits. (deadline.com) (the-numbers.com)