The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Dazzles With $77 Million Domestic Debut, Powers to $233 Million Worldwide

(Yahoo) – Movie theaters are en vogue again — at least based on the blockbuster turnout for “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

Disney’s star-studded sequel has defied box office expectations with $77 million from 4,150 North American theaters in its opening weekend. Those ticket sales tower above the original, which launched to $27.5 million domestically in 2006. They also rank as the fourth-best start of the year, behind “Michael” ($97.5 million), “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” ($131 million) and “Project Hail Mary” ($80 million).

“Prada 2” racked up another $156.6 million at the international box office, bringing global ticket sales to $233.6 million for the weekend. The sequel secured the second-biggest worldwide debut of 2026, ahead of “Michael” ($217 million) and after “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” ($372.5 million).

Disney’s 20th Century Studios spent lavishly on the sequel, which was produced for roughly $100 million, not including the worldwide marketing budget. To compare, the first film carried a price tag of around $40 million, not adjusted for inflation. Director David Frankel told the New York Times the sequel’s budget “mostly went to [the cast].” Already, the studio’s investment in more “Prada” is proving to be money well spent; the second film is poised to outgross the original’s lifetime haul in a matter of weeks.

“Very few dramedies do this kind of business once, let alone a second time that’s bigger,” says David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe. “Audiences, mostly female, can’t get enough.”