Big Weekend for ‘Devil Wears Prada 2' as ‘Michael' Crosses $400M

The Devil Wears Prada 2 opened to $77 million in North American theaters this weekend-topping the box office and bumping the Michael Jackson biopic Michael to second place, which crossed $400 million globally in its second weekend, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

This weekend marked the official start of Hollywood’s summer movie season, a crucial 18-week corridor that runs through Labor Day and often accounts for around 40 percent of the annual box office. With no major Marvel film leading the charge- the typical kickoff slot-the combined performance of The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Michael represented a substantial validation of mid-budget star-driven films and music biopics. The Devil Wears Prada 2 alone outperformed last year’s summer kickoff Marvel film Thunderbolts, signaling that audiences continue to embrace stories without superhero IP attached.

According to PostTrak exit polls, women drove the box office for the 20-year-old fashion franchise’s return, making up about 76 percent of ticket buyers, with 74 percent saying they would “definitely recommend” the movie to friends. Meanwhile, Michael demonstrated staying power by holding onto $54 million in its sophomore frame.

Opening Weekend

The Walt Disney Co.’s 20th Century Studios opened The Devil Wears Prada 2 in 4,150 locations across North America, with $77 million in domestic ticket sales and $156.6 million internationally.

The sequel reunites Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs working once more for Meryl Streep‘s Miranda Priestly at the fictional Runway magazine-this time in a much-depleted media landscape. Critics were mixed on the sequel, but audience response has been enthusiastic.

The film cost a reported $100 million to produce, a significant increase from the original’s $35 million budget. Filmmaker David Frankel told the Associated Press the increased cost was largely driven by the cast.

“As it turns out, by the time you finish paying all the biggest movie stars in the world, you still end up with basically the same budget for making the movie as we did the first one,” he said.

Streep, Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci have been on a fashion-forward global publicity blitz for weeks, with stops in Tokyo, London, and New York. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour-the original inspiration for the Prada-clad devil-has been involved this time, appearing with Hathaway on the Oscars stage and with Streep on the cover of the prestigious fashion magazine.

‘Michael’ Crosses $400 Million

Lionsgate’s Michael earned $54 million in its second weekend in North America, where it’s playing on 3,955 screens. Its running worldwide total is now $423.9 million-a massive performance for a music biopic and a sign of strong audience interest despite controversy surrounding Jackson’s legacy. Universal Pictures is handling the film’s international distribution.

“This is on the great end of what we had speculated might happen, but we were very confident that we were going to have a great hold even with the assumption that ‘Prada’ would do a lot of business,” Lionsgate chairman Adam Fogelson told the AP. “The conventional wisdom that a new giant movie can knock out a movie that has planted itself is constantly proven inaccurate.”

The biopic’s 44 percent drop in its second weekend is considered exceptionally strong for the genre. The original Bohemian Rhapsody-to which Michael is frequently compared-fell sharply in its second weekend before stabilizing.

Other New Releases

Several other new films opened this weekend with more modest results.

Neon’s horror movie Hokum, led by Adam Scott, debuted with $6.4 million to round out the top five. Andy Serkis’ animated adaptation of Animal Farm earned $3.4 million but was poorly reviewed, while the Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley-led survival movie Deep Water opened to $2.2 million.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie continued its run, earning $12.1 million in its fifth weekend for third place. Project Hail Mary earned $8.6 million in its seventh weekend for fourth place.

Box Office Results

The annual domestic box office is currently running about 14 percent above last year, with approximately $2.8 billion in ticket sales to date.

The full top 10 by domestic box office for the weekend, according to Comscore:

• The Devil Wears Prada 2 ($77 million)
• Michael ($54 million)
• The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($12.1 million),
• Project Hail Mary ($8.6 million),
• Hokum ($6.4 million),
• Animal Farm ($3.4 million),
• Lee Cronin’s The Mummy ($2.2 million),
• Deep Water ($2.2 million),
• That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea ($1 million)

Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 11:07 AM.