The Devil Wears Prada 2 Shatters Box Office Expectations

"The Devil Wears Prada 2" opened worldwide with a debut exceeding $230 million and, within its first week, generated 72 percent of the original’s total box-office revenue. By early May 2026 the sequel had passed the $600 million global milestone, placing it among the year’s top-grossing releases.

Express Tribune

The 2006 comedy-drama set a cultural benchmark for fashion-centric cinema. Two decades later, the sequel reunited the principal cast and revisited iconic sites such as Milan’s Duomo and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, using visual continuity to attract original fans and new audiences.

New York Times

Meryl Streep (76), Anne Hathaway (43), Emily Blunt (43), and Stanley Tucci returned with appearances closely matching their 2006 portrayals. Observers noted Streep’s “piercing blue gaze, porcelain skin and cut-glass bone structure” remained intact, while Hathaway and Blunt retained the “slinky and wide-eyed” qualities of earlier roles. Tucci’s similarity was described as “virtually identical to his younger self.”

New York Times

The film opened with > $230 million worldwide, has earned > $600 million globally (Tribune-Pakistan), and accounts for 72 percent of the original’s total box-office. Audiences are predominantly female, and word-of-mouth has been strong. Industry analysts attribute the performance to nostalgia, fashion-capital visuals, and its comedy-drama classification, which historically draws broad viewership.

Express Tribune

The sequel’s earnings contributed to the 2026 box-office surge, complementing other high-grossing titles such as the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” which approached $788 million worldwide. The success highlights a market trend favoring legacy sequels that blend familiar talent with contemporary production values.

Express Tribune

The $600 million figure comes from a source lacking a reliability rating, while the New York Times review offers only a percentage comparison without a precise total. Consequently, the exact worldwide gross may vary across reporting outlets.

Express Tribune

• “Within a week of opening, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” grossed an astonishing72 percent of the total box officeearned by the original film.” — NYTimes reviewer, The New York Times

New York Times

• “The film’s success, then, disproves the assumption that sequels always lose out to originals in any comparison.” — NYTimes reviewer, The New York Times

New York Times

• “The three lead actresses all look close to how they looked back in 2006.” — NYTimes reviewer, The New York Times

New York Times

• “Hathaway and Blunt, both 43, remain as slinky and wide-eyed as they were as ingénues of 23.” — NYTimes reviewer, The New York Times

New York Times

• “And Streep, 76, remains a marvel of piercing blue gaze, porcelain skin and cut-glass bone structure.” — NYTimes reviewer, The New York Times

New York Times