It was a box-office battle of the sequels as Mortal Kombat II released worldwide this weekend, hoping to wrest the crown from The Devil Wears Prada 2. But the Meryl Streep-starrer continued to rule the roost as Mortal Kombat II fell below expectations in a subpar start.
Mortal Kombat II’s subpar start
According to studio estimates, Mortal Kombat II opened its account at the North American box office with $40 million in its first weekend. It was in the second spot, failing to displace The Devil Wears Prada 2, which earned $43 million in its second weekend. The Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, ranked third, bringing in $36 million in its third weekend. On Sunday, Michael surpassed Mortal Kombat II, earning $13.2 million to the video game adaptation’s $9.5 million.
Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Comscore, said Mother’s Day might have helped The Devil Wears Prada 2 gain an edge over the newcomer, yet it still had a modest 44% dip in weekend two. “The release date was perfect,” Dergarabedian told AP. “This may be the new blueprint for how to start a summer.”
The other new releases
This weekend had a wide variety of newcomers playing in wide release, including the family-friendly whodunnit The Sheep Detectives and a James Cameron co-directed Billie Eilish concert film.
The Sheep Detectives brought in $15.9 million in its first weekend in 3,457 theatres and settled into the fourth spot. The quirky, all-ages murder mystery features a starry ensemble including Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson and Nicholas Braun, as well as the voices of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Regina Hall and Patrick Stewart, all as sheep trying to figure out who murdered their shepherd. Rounding out the top five was Billie Eilish—Hit Me Hard & Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D), an immersive concert experience, which Cameron shared co-directing credits on with Eilish. It earned $7.5 million in North America and $12.6 million internationally.
Hollywood’s big earners of 2026
The Devil Wears Prada 2 has now earned $433 million worldwide in a little over a week. Michael, meanwhile, has minted $577 million, and is steadily moving towards the $600-million mark. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie remains Hollywood’s highest-grosser in 2026 with a worldwide gross of $941 million and counting. Ryan Gosling-starrer, Project Hail Mary, is also going steady, having reached $655 million after seven weeks.
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