“The Devil Wears Prada 2” has become the second-biggest comedy opening of all time locally, according to Val Morgan Cinema.
The sequel – which dominated the Australian box office on debut, grossing $13.11 million total – fell short of “Barbie,” which holds the No. 1 spot.
The result lands amid a broader recovery for cinema, with multiple record-breaking openings already recorded in 2026 and the strongest Easter period since 2019. Audience data points to broad appeal, with “The Devil Wears Prada 2″ drawing both legacy fans and new viewers. Notably, 62% of the audience came from the 25-54 year-old demographic, alongside a 69% female skew.
Premium cinema formats also played a role in driving revenue, underlining the ongoing value of the theatrical experience for both audiences and advertisers.
Overall admissions in cinema have been up 13% year-on-year across all key demographics, including younger audiences, families and culturally diverse segments. Guy Burbidge, managing director of Val Morgan Cinema, positioned the result as part of a broader trend.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2 is another huge cultural moment – a great example of how nostalgic, quality content pulls in the big audiences,” he said. “We’ve seen a run of record-breaking openings, the strongest Easter period in six years, and now continued growth across both box office and admissions year-on-year. That performance is being driven by broad audience growth across all key segments.”
Burbidge also pointed to the implications for advertisers, linking audience engagement to campaign effectiveness.
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“Combining this with the ‘Cost of Dull’ research, which highlighted the benefits for brands in using cinema vs low attention formats, reinforces why now is such a powerful time for brands to be on the big screen,” he explained. “The months ahead will only build on this, with a strong slate of quality content and expanded opportunities beyond the screen.”