Devil Wears Prada 2 tops Thunderbolts
- Disney’s The Devil Wears Prada 2 opened at No. 1 with $77 million domestic, edging past Marvel’s Thunderbolts* and giving summer 2026 an early jolt. - The bigger tell is worldwide scale — Prada 2 launched to $233 million globally, while Thunderbolts* opened to about $162 million last May. - That matters because studios need a $4 billion-plus summer, and a female-skewing hit broadens the path beyond superheroes.
The box office story here is not just that The Devil Wears Prada 2 won a weekend. It’s that a glossy, female-skewing sequel opened like an event movie and immediately became part of the argument that summer 2026 might finally feel big again. Disney’s 20th Century release started with $77 million domestic and more than $233 million worldwide. That put it just ahead of the $76 million domestic start for Marvel’s Thunderbolts* last May — and way ahead globally. (deadline.com) ### Why is Thunderbolts* the comparison? Because Thunderbolts* opened the 2025 summer season in the exact same early-May corridor and was treated as a test of whether audiences would still show up for a “pretty big, but not gigantic” franchise launch. It came in at roughly $76 million domestic, or $74.3 million on Box Office Mojo’s fin(deadline.com)ily, same season-launch slot, very different kind of movie. (deadline.com) ### What makes Prada 2’s opening unusual? Basically, this is not the kind of sequel that usually gets discussed in superhero-opening terms. The original 2006 film opened to $27.5 million domestically, and Disney is already highlighting that the sequel’s debut was nearly three times that size. The new movie has also already generated about 72%(deadline.com)ty built on fashion, workplace rivalry, and star power rather than spectacle. (thewaltdisneycompany.com) ### So did it really “beat” Thunderbolts*? Domestically, yes — but barely. Prada 2’s $77 million start sits above Deadline’s $76 million figure for Thunderbolts* and above Box Office Mojo’s $74.3 million final opening number. Worldwide, though, the gap is much clearer. Prada 2 opened above $233 million globally, while Thunderbolts* s(thewaltdisneycompany.com)a North American nostalgia spike. (deadline.com) ### Why does the audience mix matter? Because Hollywood has been overdependent on the same kinds of tentpoles. A movie aimed heavily at women over 25 can still break out, but the industry keeps acting surprised when it happens. Prada 2 looks like proof that a broad, underserved audience will show up if the package feels event-level eno(deadline.com)signal than “another comic-book movie did fine.” (theguardian.com) ### How big is the summer-box-office angle? Pretty big. The running industry hope is that North American summer 2026 can clear $4 billion, or even push toward $4.2 billion, after 2025 finished around $3.6 billion. Prada 2 matters because it gives that forecast an early tailwind without relying on the usual male-skewi(theguardian.com)g. (deadline.com) ### Is this bad news for Marvel? Not really — but it is a useful contrast. Thunderbolts* was seen as a respectable, stabilizing Marvel opening, especially after weaker recent entries. The catch is that “respectable for Marvel” no longer automatically means untouchable. Prada 2 showing up a year later and slightly topping that launch changes the mood around what counts as a true event opener. (variety.com) ### What’s the real takeaway? The real story is that the summer box office got a No. 1 opener from outside the usual superhero lane — and it worked. Prada 2 didn’t just win a weekend. It widened the definition of what a summer hit can look like in 2026. (deadline.com)
