International
The Devil Wears Prada 2 Redefines the Power of Legacy Sequels at the Global Box Office
The long-awaited sequel opened as a major global box-office success, signalling strong audience demand for legacy franchises led by female-driven narratives. Its performance underscores the commercial power of nostalgia, star casting, and international markets in today’s theatrical landscape.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 has delivered a standout opening that signals both strong audience appetite for legacy sequels and renewed momentum at the global box office. The film debuted with an estimated $77 million in North America across more than 4,000 theatres, almost tripling the domestic opening of the 2006 original and ranking among the strongest debuts of the year. International markets contributed a further $156.6 million, bringing the worldwide opening weekend total to approximately $233.6 million and positioning the film as one of the biggest global launches of 2026 to date.
The scale of the debut places the sequel on a fast track to surpassing the original film’s entire global theatrical run within weeks. Produced at a significantly higher budget than the first instalment, the film has nevertheless shown strong commercial viability from the outset, with early revenues already validating the studio’s investment. Audience reception has proven more enthusiastic than critical response, with exit polls indicating high satisfaction and a predominantly female audience turnout, driven by nostalgia and the return of the original cast two decades later.
Set against a competitive marketplace that includes major franchise and biographical releases, the film’s performance illustrates the commercial strength of female-led, non-superhero studio productions when anchored in well-established intellectual property. The opening results also reflect wider trends in audience behaviour, including strong international engagement and the continued box-office power of legacy brands with cross-generational appeal.
SOURCE: VARIETY
