'The Devil Wears Prada 2' bests ‘Mortal Kombat II’

Los Angeles, May 12: In a box office clash of the sequels, The Devil Wears Prada 2 narrowly outpaced Mortal Kombat II in North American cinemas this weekend. According to studio estimates released on Sunday, The Devil Wears Prada 2 topped the charts with $43 million (£32.5 million) in its second weekend, while Mortal Kombat II debuted with $40 million (£30.3 million).

The weekend featured a broad range of new wide releases, including the family-friendly mystery The Sheep Detectives and a James Cameron co-directed Billie Eilish—Hit Me Hard & Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) concert film starring Billie Eilish.

However, it was the holdover release that proved strongest. The Devil Wears Prada 2 has now grossed $433.2 million worldwide in just 12 days, helping The Walt Disney Studios surpass $2 billion globally for the year. The sequel has already overtaken the total worldwide earnings of the original The Devil Wears Prada, which made $327 million in 2006, excluding inflation.

Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore, suggested the Mother’s Day weekend may have helped Prada maintain momentum, with the film dropping only 44% in its second weekend.

“The release date was perfect,” Dergarabedian said. “This may be the new blueprint for how to launch a summer blockbuster.”

Mortal Kombat II offered more male-focused counter-programming during the second weekend of Hollywood’s summer season. Warner Bros. opened the film in 3,503 cinemas, attracting a heavily male audience. According to PostTrak, 75% of ticket buyers were men, almost the reverse of the audience split for The Devil Wears Prada 2 on its opening weekend.

The original Mortal Kombat was released simultaneously in cinemas and on HBO Max in April 2021 as part of Warner Bros.’ pandemic-era same-day release strategy. Reviews for the sequel have been mixed, reflected in its B CinemaScore rating. Internationally, the film earned $23 million from 78 markets, bringing its global opening total to $63 million.

In third place was Michael, which earned another $36.5 million in its third weekend — down just 33% from the previous week. The Michael Jackson biopic has now taken $240.5 million domestically, overtaking the North American earnings of Bohemian Rhapsody, and reaching $577.4 million worldwide.

Fourth place went to Amazon MGM Studios’ The Sheep Detectives, which opened with $15.9 million from 3,457 cinemas. The quirky all-ages murder mystery stars Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson and Nicholas Braun, alongside voice performances from Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Regina Hall and Patrick Stewart. Audiences awarded it an A- CinemaScore. The film reportedly cost $75 million to produce.

Completing the top five was Billie Eilish—Hit Me Hard & Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D), an immersive concert experience co-directed by Cameron and Eilish. Paramount Pictures released the film in 2,613 cinemas, where it earned $7.5 million in North America and $12.6 million internationally. Critics responded warmly, with the film holding a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences awarded it an A CinemaScore.

Meanwhile, Project Hail Mary in its eighth weekend and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in its sixth continue to perform strongly, contributing to a weekend box office total significantly ahead of the same period last year.

Dergarabedian said films thriving at the box office are those delivering “pure escapist entertainment” and encouraging both repeat and first-time audiences.AP