Box Office Showdown: Mortal Kombat II vs. The Devil Wears Prada 2
The battle for the top spot at the domestic box office is heating up between New Line's Mortal Kombat II and 20th Century's The Devil Wears Prada 2. Mortal Kombat II, driven by a male audience, had a strong opening day with a gross of around $17 million, while The Devil Wears Prada 2 followed closely with $9.8 million on Friday. Both films are expected to have domestic openings in the $40 million to $41 million range, with The Devil Wears Prada 2 already surpassing $111.6 million domestically and over $300 million globally.
Mortal Kombat II was initially projected to open to $45 million or more, but New Line and Warner Bros. had a more conservative estimate of $35 million to $40 million for its worldwide debut. The film attracted a predominantly male audience on Friday, giving it a B+ CinemaScore. The first Mortal Kombat film was a streaming hit in 2021 and grossed $84.4 million globally. The sequel sees Simon McQuoid returning as director and Karl Urban joining as Johnny Cage.
The outcome of the weekend box office battle will likely be influenced by Mother's Day traffic, favoring The Devil Wears Prada 2 as it continues its successful run. The film is on track to become one of the biggest female-driven films since Barbie in 2023. Meanwhile, Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic is expected to earn over $35 million in its third weekend, surpassing $570 million globally.
Other new releases for Mother's Day weekend include Amazon MGM's The Sheep Detectives, a comedy-mystery film with a domestic opening of $14 million to $15 million and an A CinemaScore. Paramount's concert film Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) is also expected to perform well, rounding out the top five with an $8 million domestic opening. The crowded Mother's Day lineup is anticipated to boost domestic box office revenue by over 87 percent compared to the same period last year.
Stay tuned for more updates on the weekend box office results.