'The Devil Wears Prada 2' earns $10m in Thursday night previews

20th Century Studios‘ The Devil Wears Prada 2 stepped into the spotlight tonight with an impressive $10M in advance screenings that kicked off at 2pm today, according to insider information.

That’s definitely a strong opening. With these figures, The Devil Wears Prada 2 lands just below last summer’s debut for Disney/Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts ($11.5M in previews, $74.3M opening weekend), closely rivaling Disney’s Little Mermaid ($10.3M in previews, $95.5M weekend box office) from 2023, and slightly behind 2017’s Wonder Woman ($11M in previews, $103.2M opening).

A week back, Lionsgate’s Michael saw preview sales (combining Thursday and Wednesday fan Imax shows) at $12.6M, eventually leading to a $97.2M North American launch.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is showing at 4,150 venues and is set on all PLF screens, while the King of Pop holds onto Imax.

Ticket presales have been notably strong as the weekend draws near, totaling $20M for the sequel directed by David Frankel, which hits theaters almost two decades after the original.

This presale figure is comparable with Project Hail Mary ($80M) and Dune: Part Two ($82.5M).

Granted, those movies have a more male-oriented audience compared to The Devil Wears Prada 2, which targets a female audience, so attendance could peak this weekend for the sequel.

Projections for the sequel starring Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci are between $73M-$80M.

Feedback is promising with reviews now at 78% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly higher than the original 2006 film’s 75% certified fresh rating.

According to RelishMix, the social media buzz around The Devil Wears Prada 2 is quite high, at a remarkable 7.2, compared to The Breadwinner’s 3.9M and Star Wars: Mandalorian and Grogu’s 5.3 scale.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is launching internationally this weekend, with expectations for a $180M worldwide start, or $100M from overseas.

Over the first couple of days, China has already contributed $3.2M, while local film Cold War 1994 led on Friday with $2.5M compared to Prada 2’s $810K.

The original Devil Wears Prada achieved $9.4M on its first Friday, a $27.5M weekend, and ultimately grossed $124.7M domestically, and $326.5M globally.

Similarly, exhibitors have reported strong early ticket sales for the sequel.