The Devil Wears Prada 2 struts its stuff at the box office, raking in an impressive $32.5 million on its opening weekend. This sequel to the 2006 fashion-forward classic is on track to gross between $75 million and $90 million, with some projections even higher. The original film, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, was a hit, earning $125 million domestically and $204 million worldwide when adjusted for inflation. The sequel reunites Hathaway's Andy Sachs with Streep's powerful editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly, at Runway magazine, promising a return to the world of high fashion and drama.
What makes this sequel particularly fascinating is the return of the original director, David Frankel, and screenwriter, Aline Brosh McKenna, along with the beloved cast. The first film's success, coupled with the familiarity of the characters and the promise of more fashion-forward drama, likely contributed to its strong opening. The original's impact is evident in the numbers, with a similar opening weekend gross and a strong domestic total.
In contrast, the musical biopic 'Michael' fell to second place, earning $14.4 million domestically on its second Friday. Despite this decline, it's on track to reach $180 million domestically by Sunday, which is a respectable performance. The film's potential to usurp 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as the highest-grossing musical biopic and 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' as the highest-grossing Lionsgate film is an intriguing prospect, though it may be a challenging feat.
The box office also welcomed 'Animal Farm', an animated adaptation of George Orwell's novel, which landed in sixth place with an estimated $1.1 million domestically. The star-studded cast, including Andy Serkis, Jim Parsons, and Seth Rogen, adds to the appeal, but the film's performance may be overshadowed by the strong competition.
'The Super Mario Galaxy' movie took third place, earning $2.7 million domestically on Friday. With a projected $402 million domestically through five weekends, it's a strong contender in the video game adaptation genre. 'Hokum', a horror film directed by Damian McCarthy, took fourth place, earning $2.6 million and targeting $6 million by Sunday. Finally, 'Project Hail Mary' landed at No. 5, grossing $2.2 million and on track to reach $318 million domestically by Sunday.
In my opinion, the success of 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' is a testament to the enduring appeal of the original film and the power of a well-crafted sequel. The return of the original team and cast, coupled with the promise of more fashion-forward drama, likely contributed to its strong opening. The box office numbers speak to the audience's appetite for this type of content, and it will be interesting to see if the sequel can maintain its momentum and gross figures. The competition from other films, particularly 'Michael', is fierce, but the potential for a strong domestic total and a successful run is evident. The box office results this weekend highlight the diverse tastes of audiences and the ongoing popularity of the fashion and drama genres.
