‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Beats ‘Mortal Kombat II’ Box Office/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ “The Devil Wears Prada 2” continued its strong theatrical run by narrowly defeating “Mortal Kombat II” at the North American box office. The fashion sequel earned $43 million in its second weekend while Warner Bros.’ action sequel debuted with $40 million. Strong audience turnout, Mother’s Day timing, and repeat viewers helped boost the summer movie season overall.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 Box Office Quick Looks
- “The Devil Wears Prada 2” earned $43 million domestically in weekend two
- “Mortal Kombat II” opened with $40 million across 3,503 theaters
- Disney surpassed $2 billion globally for 2026 thanks to “Prada 2”
- “Michael” stayed strong with $36.5 million in its third weekend
- “The Sheep Detectives” debuted with $15.9 million
- Billie Eilish’s 3D concert film earned $7.5 million domestically
- Analysts credited Mother’s Day and repeat audiences for “Prada 2” success
- Summer box office momentum continues to outperform last year
Deep Look
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Leads Competitive Box Office Weekend
The summer movie season continued its strong momentum as “The Devil Wears Prada 2” narrowly outperformed “Mortal Kombat II” during a crowded weekend at North American theaters.
According to studio estimates released Sunday, the fashion-centered sequel earned an impressive $43 million in its second weekend in theaters. The film managed to stay ahead of Warner Bros.’ highly anticipated video game adaptation sequel “Mortal Kombat II,” which opened with $40 million domestically.
Despite several new wide releases entering theaters, audiences largely returned to familiar franchises and established hits, helping create one of the strongest weekends of the year for cinemas.
Disney Scores Another Major Win
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” has quickly become one of Disney’s biggest theatrical successes of 2026. In only 12 days of release, the film has already generated $433.2 million worldwide.
The sequel has now officially surpassed the entire global box office total of the original 2006 movie, which earned $327 million worldwide during its theatrical run, excluding inflation adjustments.
The strong performance also helped push The Walt Disney Studios past the $2 billion global revenue mark for the year, reinforcing Disney’s continued dominance at the worldwide box office.
Industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore pointed to the strategic release timing as a key factor behind the film’s continued success.
“The release date was perfect,” Dergarabedian said. “This may be the new blueprint for how to start a summer.”
The movie experienced only a modest 44% decline from its opening weekend, a strong hold for a major studio sequel. Analysts believe Mother’s Day weekend may have helped drive larger turnout among female audiences and repeat moviegoers.
‘Mortal Kombat II’ Opens Strong With Male Audiences
Although “Mortal Kombat II” finished slightly behind “Prada 2,” Warner Bros. still delivered a solid debut for the action-heavy sequel.
The film opened in 3,503 theaters across North America and attracted a heavily male audience. According to PostTrak audience data, approximately 75% of ticket buyers were men.
That demographic breakdown created a clear contrast with “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” which appealed primarily to female moviegoers during its opening frame.
The latest installment follows the original 2021 “Mortal Kombat” reboot, which was released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max during the pandemic-era hybrid release strategy adopted by Warner Bros.
Critical reception for the sequel has been mixed, mirroring reactions to the first film. “Mortal Kombat II” received a B CinemaScore from audiences.
Internationally, the movie added another $23 million from 78 overseas markets, bringing its worldwide opening total to $63 million.
‘Michael’ Continues Box Office Momentum
The Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” continued to perform strongly in its third weekend, earning another $36.5 million domestically.
The film dropped only 33% from the previous weekend, showing remarkable staying power among audiences. Its domestic total has now reached $240.5 million.
Globally, “Michael” has earned $577.4 million, surpassing the North American theatrical total of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the hit Freddie Mercury biopic that became a worldwide sensation.
The continued success of “Michael” highlights ongoing audience demand for music-centered biographical dramas and nostalgia-driven theatrical experiences.
‘The Sheep Detectives’ Delivers Family-Friendly Counterprogramming
Amazon MGM Studios introduced family audiences to “The Sheep Detectives,” a quirky mystery-comedy that debuted in fourth place with $15.9 million.
Released in 3,457 theaters, the all-ages whodunnit featured a star-studded cast including Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Regina Hall, and Patrick Stewart.
The story follows a group of sheep attempting to solve the murder of their shepherd, blending comedy, mystery, and animated performances.
Audience reactions were largely positive, with the film earning an A- CinemaScore. The production reportedly carried a budget of approximately $75 million.
Billie Eilish Concert Film Impresses Fans and Critics
Rounding out the top five was “Billie Eilish—Hit Me Hard & Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” an immersive concert experience co-directed by Billie Eilish and filmmaker James Cameron.
The Paramount release earned $7.5 million domestically from 2,613 theaters while adding another $12.6 million internationally.
Critics responded positively to the project, which currently holds a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences also embraced the concert film, awarding it an A CinemaScore.
The movie added another successful music-focused theatrical release to an already crowded summer marketplace.
Summer Box Office Continues Rebound
Several holdover releases also contributed to the strong overall marketplace.
“Project Hail Mary,” now in its eighth weekend, and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” in its sixth weekend, both continued attracting audiences and repeat ticket buyers.
Analysts say the current theatrical landscape is benefiting from movies that offer large-scale entertainment and escapism.
“This is playing out very well for movie theaters right now,” Dergarabedian said.
Industry experts believe the combination of blockbuster sequels, family entertainment, concert films, and nostalgia-driven projects is helping theaters sustain momentum heading deeper into the summer season.
Top 10 Movies at the Domestic Box Office
- “The Devil Wears Prada 2” — $43 million
- “Mortal Kombat II” — $40 million
- “Michael” — $36.5 million
- “The Sheep Detectives” — $15.9 million
- “Billie Eilish—Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour” — $7.5 million
- “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” — $6.6 million
- “Project Hail Mary” — $6.1 million
- “Hokum” — $3.3 million
- “Deep Water” — $780,274
- “Animal Farm” — $663,624
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