Devil Wears Prada 2 opens with roughly $223M worldwide, $77M in U.S. weekend

The movie business got a very clear signal this weekend. A glossy, star-driven sequel about fashion media — not capes, not monsters, not a reboot for kids — just opened like a giant event picture. The Devil Wears Prada 2 pulled in about $77 million domestically and roughly $233.6 million worldwide in its first weekend, which is a lot bigger than the cautious early framing around it suggested. Basically, the audience showed up like this was a must-see theatrical reunion, not a nostalgia curio. ### Why is this opening such a big deal? Because the bar for legacy sequels is weirdly high now. People will absolutely ignore a follow-up if it feels lazy, late, or straight-to-streaming in spirit. But they will still turn out in force if the package feels like an actual event. This one had the original core cast, a known brand, and a premise tied to how media and fashion have changed since 2006 — and the box office says that combination landed. ### What were people expecting? The range heading into the weekend was more like $75 million to $80 million domestic, with around $180 million global in the early trade chatter. By Sunday, the worldwide number had climbed to about $233.6 million. That gap matters. It means the movie didn’t just meet forecasts — it outpaced the international side in a meaningful way and finished the weekend looking less like a solid opener and more like a breakout. ### Where did the money come from? The U.S. and Canada supplied the $77 million opening weekend, while overseas markets added about $156.6 million. Earlier in the rollout, the movie had already posted strong starts in places like Brazil, Italy, Korea, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. That kind of spread is important because it suggests the appeal isn’t just American nostalgia for Miranda Priestly — it’s broad commercial recognition of the brand and cast. ### How does it compare with the first movie? The original Devil Wears Prada opened to about $27.5 million in 2006 and finished with roughly $326.5 million worldwide. So the sequel’s opening alone is dramatically larger than the first film’s domestic debut, and it has already covered a huge chunk of the original’s entire global run in one weekend. That doesn’t guarantee the same time a sleeper hit. ### Does the budget change the story? Yes — but in a good way. The reported production budget is around $100 million, which is much higher than the first movie’s roughly $40 million. Even so, a $233.6 million global start is the kind of launch that puts profitability on the table very quickly, especially if weekday holds are decent. The catch is that marketing costs still matter, so the real test is whether the movie keeps momentum beyond the reunion rush. ### Why does Hollywood care beyond this one film? Because this is a clean test case for theatrical demand in 2026. Studios keep asking whether adult-skewing, female-led, star-heavy movies can still open big without superhero scaffolding. This weekend’s answer looks like yes — if the title is familiar enough and the return feels culturally legible. In plain English: audiences still like going out for something that feels like a shared pop event. ### What should we watch next? Weekday drops, second-weekend hold, and whether international markets keep pushing. A huge opener gets attention, but legs decide whether this becomes merely a hit or one of the year’s defining theatrical wins. Right now, though, the main takeaway is simple — The Devil Wears Prada 2 didn’t just open well. It reset the conversation about what kind of sequel can still explode in theaters.