When “The Devil Wears Prada” was released in 2006, the biting comedy set in the world of fashion was scheduled as light counter-programming against a comic-book behemoth, “Superman Returns.”
Now, 20 years later, there’s no question that Miranda Priestly and company are the box office’s main attraction. The long-awaited sequel “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is targeting a massive debut of $75 million to $80 million from 4,100 North American theaters. Some are expecting ticket sales to near $90 million to $100 million, given the original’s enduring appeal as well as the recent over-performance of “Michael.” Last weekend’s champ “Michael,” a musical biopic about Michael Jackson, was projected to earn $70 million and ended up wildly exceeding expectations with $97.2 million to start.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” should earn another $100 million at the international box office, which would bring global ticket sales to roughly $175 million to $190 million for the weekend. 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 around $40 million.
Disney’s investment in more “Prada” looks to be money well spent. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is poised to outgross the original’s lifetime haul in a matter of weeks. The first film launched to $27.5 million in North America and ended its theatrical run with $125 million domestically and $326 million worldwide. With endlessly quotable lines (“That’s all” and “Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking…”) and a starry cast that’s only ascended on the A-list, “The Devil Wears Prada” has remained a cultural touchstone.
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci all returned for “The Devil Wears Prada 2” along with the original director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna. The sequel picks up with Hathaway’s Andy Sachs returning to Runway magazine as a features editor two decades after she worked as the assistant to Streep’s powerful editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly. Vogue editor Anna Wintour is, of course, the inspiration behind Streep’s character. Though she denied the use of her likeness on the first film, Wintour has embraced her association with all things “Prada” this time around, even posing on the cover of her magazine alongside Streep with the tagline “When Miranda met Anna…”
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” will easily notch the No. 1 spot at the box office. Elsewhere, “Michael” is expected to stay strong with $45 million to $50 million in its second weekend, a roughly 50% to 55% decline. So far, the Lionsgate film has generated $104.9 million domestically and $226 million globally. Meanwhile, holdovers including Universal’s animated “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and Ryan Gosling’s sci-fi epic “Project Hail Mary” should continue to pack in crowds. As movie theater owners prepare for a busy weekend at multiplexes, they’d be wise to heed the advice of Tucci’s Nigel Kipling: “Gird your loins!”