The Devil Wears Prada 2 Box Office: How Anne Hathaway & Meryl Streep Made History in 2026
The Devil Wears Prada 2 box office performance has stunned Hollywood in all the best ways. The long-awaited sequel to the beloved 2006 fashion comedy-drama opened to a jaw-dropping $77 million domestically and $233.6 million worldwide in its opening weekend — making it one of the biggest launches of 2026, and the most successful traditional comedy in over a decade.
Twenty years after Miranda Priestly first demanded her coat, audiences across America (and the world) proved they were absolutely ready to step back into the halls of Runway magazine. Here's the full breakdown of everything you need to know about this era-defining sequel.
The Devil Wears Prada 2: Opening Weekend by the Numbers
The numbers tell a story that even Miranda Priestly would find impressive.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Opening Weekend (USA/Canada) | $77 million |
| Opening Weekend (Worldwide) | $233.6 million |
| Production Budget | $100 million |
| Global Total (First Two Weeks) | $441+ million |
| CinemaScore | A- |
| Original Film's Entire Lifetime Gross | $326.5 million |
The sequel surpassed the entire global run of the original film in under two weeks. That's not just a box office win — it's a cultural statement.
It also became the highest opening for a traditional comedy since Pitch Perfect 2 in 2015, beating Marvel's Thunderbolts by nearly $3 million in its opening weekend. And it marked the first time a female-led property has kicked off the summer box office in modern Hollywood history.
Who's in The Devil Wears Prada 2 Cast?
The sequel brings back the core cast of the original, alongside some exciting new additions:
Returning cast:
- Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly — the ice-cold, razor-sharp editor-in-chief of Runway
- Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs — now a journalist turned Runway features editor
- Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton — Miranda's former first assistant, now a senior executive at Dior
- Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling — Miranda's loyal right-hand man
New additions:
- B.J. Novak as Jay Ravitz, the finance-bro heir to the Elias-Clarke publishing empire
- Simone Ashley as Amari Mari, Miranda's current first assistant
- Lady Gaga in a fictionalized version of herself with ties to Miranda's past
- Lucy Liu and Kenneth Branagh in supporting roles
- Justin Theroux rounding out the ensemble
The film was directed by David Frankel (returning from the original) and written by Aline Brosh McKenna — the same creative team that made the first film so sharp and memorable. That consistency clearly mattered to audiences.
What Is The Devil Wears Prada 2 Actually About?
Set two decades after the events of the first film, the sequel follows Andy Sachs as she steps back into Miranda's orbit — this time as Runway's new features editor. The story centers on Miranda's struggle to keep the legendary fashion magazine alive in a world of declining print media, corporate threats, and shifting cultural power.
Emily Charlton, once Miranda's enemy and rival, has risen to become a senior executive at Dior — setting up a fascinating collision between the original film's two most iconic characters.
The film's working title during production was "Cerulean" — a direct nod to one of the most famous monologues in the original, where Miranda explains how the fashion industry's influence trickles down into everyday life. That self-referential wink set the tone perfectly for the film's mix of nostalgia and fresh storytelling.
How Much Were the Stars Paid?
Given the film's enormous commercial appeal, the salaries were appropriately eye-popping. According to Variety, all three lead actresses — Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt — were each paid $12.5 million, with performance bonuses that could push each payout to $20 million given the film's astronomical success.
Meryl Streep, who was considered the sequel's biggest creative draw, negotiated a "favored nations" deal — ensuring that her co-stars received equal pay. In an interview, Streep revealed she almost turned the film down, saying she initially rejected the offer because she felt she deserved more.
"I read the script. It was great. They made an offer, and I said no. I knew it was going to be a hit, and I wanted to see if I doubled my ask. And they went right away and said sure."
It's a Miranda Priestly move if we've ever heard one.
Why Was This Movie Such a Massive Hit?
The short answer: timing, nostalgia, and genuine quality. But the longer answer is more interesting.
1. Millennial audiences were ready. The original Devil Wears Prada premiered in 2006, making it a defining cultural touchstone for people now in their 30s and 40s — exactly the demographic with disposable income and a hunger for something that feels theirs. Nielsen reported that streaming viewership for the original film surged 428% between March and April 2026 as the sequel's marketing campaign ramped up.
2. The trailers broke records. The teaser trailer generated 181.5 million views in 24 hours, described as the most-viewed comedy trailer in 15 years. The first full trailer hit 222 million views in 24 hours — the most-viewed trailer in 20th Century Studios history.
3. The original cast returned. Hollywood has learned the hard way that slapping a beloved title on a sequel doesn't guarantee success. What The Devil Wears Prada 2 got right was bringing back the same director, the same writer, and the same core cast. That creative continuity translated to a film that feels like a genuine continuation rather than a cash-grab.
4. It spoke to something real. The film's exploration of print media's decline, corporate power, and women navigating career and identity struck a nerve with audiences who are living those exact tensions in 2026.
The Cultural Impact: What This Means for Hollywood
The Devil Wears Prada 2's success is being analyzed as more than just a box office hit — it's being read as a referendum on where Hollywood is heading.
The IP-maximization model that has defined the film industry for the past decade relies on one core premise: audiences will show up for beloved brands if the product is executed well. The challenge is that execution is harder than it looks. For every Devil Wears Prada 2, there are films like Tron: Legacy that failed to recapture what made the original special.
As one industry analyst put it: "The sweet spot for this kind of sequel is very narrow. You can't just slap a name on it and think it's going to do well. All the components, all the elements have to be there."
The Devil Wears Prada 2 had all of them.
It also made history as the first female-led property to open the summer box office in the modern era, beating what was originally scheduled to be Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday on the same weekend. That's not a small footnote — it's a genuine shift in Hollywood's assumptions about what audiences want and who drives ticket sales.
Devil Wears Prada 2 Audience Demographics
The film performed strongly across an unusually wide demographic range, which is rare for any release:
- Ages 25–34 were the strongest quad on opening day — Gen Z and younger millennials
- By Sunday, 66% of the total opening weekend audience was 35 and older
- Gender breakdown: female-skewing audience, consistent with the franchise's identity
- Diversity: 30% Black, 30% Caucasian, 29% Hispanic and Latino, 7% Asian American
- PLFs (Premium Large Format screenings) drove a third of the U.S. opening weekend business
The diversity of the audience signals something important: this wasn't just a "fan" movie or a nostalgia play for one demographic. It connected across age, race, and background.
Is There a Devil Wears Prada 3 Coming?
As of May 2026, no third film has been officially announced. But given the sequel's extraordinary performance — already on track to become one of the highest-grossing comedies in Hollywood history — it would be surprising if the studios didn't at least have conversations about a potential third chapter.
Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway are both 76 and 43 respectively, and Streep in particular has proven she still commands the screen with total authority. Emily Blunt's expanded role in the sequel opens up fascinating new directions for a third film, should it ever materialize.
For now, fans are simply savoring the fact that this sequel not only existed — it exceeded every reasonable expectation.
FAQ: The Devil Wears Prada 2
Q: How much did The Devil Wears Prada 2 make at the box office? As of mid-May 2026, the film has grossed over $441 million globally, including $77 million in its opening weekend in the USA and $233.6 million worldwide. It surpassed the original film's entire global run in under two weeks.
Q: Is The Devil Wears Prada 2 available to stream? As of its release, the film is exclusively in theaters. Streaming availability will follow after its theatrical run concludes. Check Disney+ and Hulu for future availability.
Q: What is The Devil Wears Prada 2 about? The sequel follows Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) who returns to Runway magazine to help Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) navigate the challenges of a declining print media landscape and corporate threats to the magazine's survival.
Q: Who are the new cast members in The Devil Wears Prada 2? New additions include B.J. Novak, Simone Ashley, Lady Gaga, Lucy Liu, Kenneth Branagh, Justin Theroux, and Jeon Somi, among others.
Q: How much did Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway earn for The Devil Wears Prada 2? Both were paid $12.5 million each, with potential bonuses up to $20 million based on box office performance.
Q: What is The Devil Wears Prada 2's Rotten Tomatoes score? The film holds a 78% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on over 300 critics' reviews, indicating generally positive reception.
Suggested External Authority Links
- The Devil Wears Prada 2 on IMDb — full cast, crew, and ratings
- Deadline Hollywood Box Office — in-depth box office analysis and weekend tracking
- The Hollywood Reporter — industry perspective on the sequel's success
- Wikipedia — The Devil Wears Prada 2 — production history and complete cast
- Rotten Tomatoes — The Devil Wears Prada 2 — critic and audience scores
Conclusion
The Devil Wears Prada 2 box office success is one of the most gratifying Hollywood stories of 2026. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci walked back into Runway magazine twenty years later and proved that great characters, great writing, and emotional authenticity still win — every single time.
For American audiences who grew up watching Andy Sachs stumble her way through fashion's most terrifying workplace, this sequel is exactly what it needed to be: worthy of the original, and then some. The Prada empire, it turns out, is just getting started.