Lead
The Devil Wears Prada 2 opened Thursday with $10 million in U.S. previews and $50.5 million worldwide after early international runs, positioning the sequel for a projected 3-day domestic debut near $75–$80 million. The David Frankel–directed follow-up plays at 4,150 theaters, including heavy Premium Large Format inventory, and arrives on strong presales and social-media momentum. Studios and exhibitors are banking on female-skewing audiences, date-night traffic and nostalgia-driven turnout to convert early curiosity into a major summer launch.
Key Takeaways
- Thursday previews: $10.0M in the U.S.; global early total reported at $50.5M (U.S. previews + overseas openings).
- Weekend tracking: a three-day domestic opening forecast of roughly $75M–$80M after a Friday that reached $33M (including previews) across 4,150 theaters.
- Overseas footprint: the film bowed in 35 markets on Thursday and 45 markets to date, with the first two overseas days totaling $40.5M; top territory openings include Italy $5.9M and Brazil $3.2M.
- Presales and reach: $20M in pre-ticket sales and a reported social-media universe of about 0.5 billion impressions, with a RelishMix buzz score cited as notably above genre norms.
- Screening footprint: 1,000 Premium Large Format (PLF) screens, 200+ D-BOX/Motion auditoriums and ~100 ScreenX locations are playing the sequel.
- Comparative context: the sequel’s preview level sits just under major tentpole Thursday tallies like Thunderbolts ($11.5M) and Wonder Woman (2017, $11M).
- Box office landscape: the weekend frame is expected to outpace the same weekend last year ($144.2M frame total), helped by strong openings from both Prada 2 and Lionsgate’s Michael.
Background
The Devil Wears Prada sequel arrives roughly 20 years after the 2006 original, which opened to a $9.4M Friday, a $27.5M three-day and finished with $124.7M domestic and $326.5M worldwide. The follow-up was produced for approximately $100M and reunites key cast members including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci—a lineup that studio tracking and exhibitor reporting say is driving legacy interest.
Studios increasingly measure pre-release momentum with social metrics and presales; RelishMix reported a pre-release social universe near half a billion across TikTok, YouTube, X, Instagram and Facebook, and presale totals ahead of the film’s opening reached $20M. Exhibitors note that female-skewing titles can frontload (heavy opening day/weekend turnout), so chains have layered themed events and branded promos to extend dwell time and ancillary spend.
Internationally, the release strategy staggered openings across many territories before the U.S. weekend. Early market strength in places like Italy, Brazil and Germany has shaped a global forecast near $180M for the opening weekend, while China contributed roughly $2.4M on its first day of play, signaling varied region-by-region demand.
Main Event
Thursday’s U.S. preview runs kicked off at 2 PM in many locations and generated an estimated $10M, according to studio reports; combined with the first overseas performances, the global tally reached $50.5M. The film opened Thursday in 35 markets and expanded to 45 markets by early Friday, collecting $40.5M overseas in the first two days of international release.
Domestic momentum translated to a strong Friday gross of about $33M (this figure includes the preview receipts). The film’s footprint of 4,150 theaters includes a large allocation of PLF and special-format screens, which exhibitors say helps lift per-screen averages and drives premium ticket revenue.
Market-by-market early totals showed Italy at $5.9M, Brazil $3.2M, Germany $3.1M, Mexico $3.0M, Australia $2.7M, France $2.7M, China $2.4M and Korea $1.5M, with remaining territories comprising roughly $14M. The sequel opened No. 1 or as the top non-local release in most markets outside a few exceptions such as the Netherlands, Ecuador and Bolivia.
On the domestic circuit, presale strength translated to special programming at chains: Alamo Drafthouse reported crossing $1M in presales for the title, and boutique exhibitor Cinergy staged themed premieres and Prada-branded events to drive experiential attendance. Box office scheduling data shows 28% of U.S. weekend showtimes earmarked for Prada 2.
Analysis & Implications
Commercially, Prada 2’s launch is a study in nostalgia merchandising: the movie benefits from a decades-long brand equity that converts social chatter into ticket demand. The cast-driven draw—particularly around Streep and Hathaway—appears to reduce age-related friction in audience perception, turning legacy appeal into a marketing asset rather than an obstacle.
Demographics matter. The sequel’s female and date-night skew suggests a high concentration of opening-night and opening-weekend attendances rather than protracted legs; that pattern can yield large early grosses but sharper week-to-week declines. Exhibitor strategies (PLF inventory, themed events, group buyouts) are explicitly designed to broaden conversion beyond core fans.
International performance is mixed but promising: strong footholds in key European and Latin markets offset more modest early returns in China. If the overseas trajectory holds, the film can plausibly approach a $100M-plus international weekend, supporting the near-$180M global forecast—though China will be an important variable for any stretch target.
Broader industry context: coming on the heels of other strong franchise returns and amid an opening-weekend frame that already looks healthier than last year, Prada 2 could help anchor a more robust early summer box office. Still, comparisons to tentpole reopeners (Top Gun: Maverick, previous Marvel launches) create high expectations that the sequel must meet through WOM and repeat business.
Comparison & Data
| Rank | Title / Distributor | Theaters | Wknd Gross | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael (Lionsgate) | 3,955 | $129.8M (wk) | $129.8M |
| 2 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Universal) | 3,732 | $25.2M | $390.5M |
| 3 | Project Hail Mary (Amazon MGM) | 3,510 | $17.5M | $309.7M |
| 4 | The Mummy (Warner Bros./New Line) | 3,304 | $7.4M | $25.2M |
| 5 | The Drama (A24) | 1,982 | $3.7M | $45.9M |
This snapshot shows Prada 2 entering a marketplace already populated by several holdovers and a recent tentpole. The sequel’s heavy PLF and wide booking, plus its presale base, are aimed at securing a top-two opening rather than a gradual build.
Reactions & Quotes
“Convo runs positive for The Devil Wears Prada 2, fueled by nostalgia hitting like a luxury brand relaunch that actually lands,”
RelishMix (analytics firm, quoted in Deadline)
RelishMix framed social chatter as largely favorable, highlighting legacy-driven enthusiasm and fashion callbacks as strong engagement drivers.
“Presales for Devil Wears Prada 2 are super-strong, with a lot of group buyouts coming in…we expect the popcorn purse bags to sell out quickly,”
Traci Hanlon, CMO, Cinergy Entertainment (exhibitor)
Cinergy’s CMO described experiential tie-ins and VIP events as key tools for converting brand affinity into ticket sales and ancillary revenue.
“28% of all scheduled weekend showtimes in the United States are being designated to Devil Wears Prada 2,”
The Boxoffice Company (exhibitor scheduling data, cited)
That scheduling share underscores the distributor’s commitment to a wide, premium-first release strategy aimed at maximizing opening-weekend share.
Unconfirmed
- The exact conversion rate of social-media buzz into sustained box office legs is not guaranteed; high impressions do not always equal repeat attendance.
- The $180M global opening forecast is a studio/market estimate and remains subject to weekend volatility and regional variances.
- Some exhibitor anecdotes about merchandise sellouts and group buyout volumes are preliminary and may vary by location.
Bottom Line
The Devil Wears Prada 2 launched with a very strong Thursday preview performance and healthy early international receipts, setting the sequel up for a sizable opening weekend in the U.S. and a likely $100M-plus international contribution. The combination of a legacy cast, heavy PLF placement and experiential exhibitor programming increases the film’s upside on opening day and weekend.
Risks to the ultimate trajectory include frontloaded attendance patterns for female-skewing tentpoles and regional headwinds (notably China). If word of mouth remains positive and week-to-week erosion is moderate, the sequel should secure a top-tier summer debut and materially boost the box office frame compared with the same weekend last year.