'The Devil Wears Prada 2' opens to $77M, tops box office
The star-studded sequel beat expectations with its global debut.
"The Devil Wears Prada 2" is strutting into theaters with a strong debut, earning $77 million in North America and more than $233 million worldwide in its opening weekend.
The sequel to the 2006 hit, released by 20th Century Studios and Disney, brought in about $156 million overseas, signaling strong global demand and an early boost to the summer box office.
The film reunites original stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci nearly two decades after the original became a pop culture staple.
Directed by David Frankel and written by Aline Brosh McKenna, the sequel returns to the world of fashion publishing, following Hathaway's Andy Sachs as she steps back into Runway magazine in a senior editorial role under Streep's formidable Miranda Priestly.
The film brought in $32.5 million on Friday, including $10 million from preview screenings, helping secure one of the biggest openings of the year.
It is already pacing ahead of the original film, which opened to $27.5 million domestically and went on to earn more than $326 million worldwide.
In second place, Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" earned $54 million in its second weekend, bringing its global total to $423.9 million.
20th Century Studios is owned by The Walt Disney Co., the parent company of ABC News.