The Devil Wears Prada 2 has stormed the global box office with a spectacular $233m (£171m) opening weekend, driven by an overwhelmingly female audience. The sequel earned $77m in North America and $156.6m internationally, marking the biggest debut for a Meryl Streep film and the largest worldwide launch for Emily Blunt, surpassing Oppenheimer's $180.4m opening.
Women accounted for 76% of ticket buyers, according to exit polls, with 74% saying they would definitely recommend the film. The sequel knocked Michael off the top spot in its second weekend, though the Michael Jackson biopic held strong with $54m, dropping only 44%. Critics were mixed on the story, which sees Anne Hathaway's Andy Sachs return to work for Miranda Priestly at a struggling Runway magazine.
The film cost $100m to produce, a significant jump from the original's $35m budget, but director David Frankel noted that star salaries consumed much of that. The cast—Streep, Hathaway, Blunt and Stanley Tucci—embarked on a glamorous global press tour, with stops in Tokyo, London and New York. Even Anna Wintour, the inspiration for Miranda Priestly, made appearances alongside Hathaway at the Oscars and with Streep on the cover of Vogue.
The opening weekend kicked off Hollywood's summer movie season, an 18-week corridor that typically relies on Marvel blockbusters. However, the combined power of The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Michael proved a strong alternative. The North American box office is currently running 14% ahead of last year, with $2.8bn in sales to date.
