The Devil Wears Prada 2 had one of Disney's biggest openings in recent years on digital platforms
The success of The Devil Wears Prada 2, which began in theaters, continued on digital platforms as well. Added to the Disney+ and Hulu catalogs on July 29, the film recorded 15.2 million global views in its first five days.
This result made the production Disney's strongest live-action film opening in the last two years. The last film to reach this level within the company was the 2024 release Deadpool & Wolverine.
15.2 million does not mean unique viewers
The "viewing" figure announced by Disney does not represent 15.2 million different accounts or individuals who watched the film.
The company calculates this metric by dividing the total viewing time by the film's length. If a user watches the film twice or different users only watch certain segments, it can also contribute to the total time. Therefore, it is inaccurate to state the figure as "15.2 million people watched it."
The data also comes from Disney's own systems. The platform did not share details such as viewing time by country, the number of unique accounts, or the percentage of viewers who completed the film.
A strong transition from cinema to digital
The Devil Wears Prada 2 reached approximately $691.4 million in revenue in global cinemas before arriving on Disney platforms. The film had a global opening of over $233 million on its first weekend and surpassed the total box office of the first film from 2006 by its second week.
It is not possible to say that the digital opening consisted solely of those who missed the film in theaters. The audience base built by the first film over the years and the high box office revenue of the sequel suggest that re-watches may have contributed to the 15.2 million figure. Since Disney has not released separate data on this, this assessment remains an inference.
A twenty-year-old brand found success in two different markets
The sequel, reuniting Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, was released 20 years after the first film in 2006.
The film is the latest example showing that nostalgia-driven sequel projects not only generate interest on opening weekend but can also establish a long viewing life on platforms after their theatrical release.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 holds the record not because it surpassed the numbers of Deadpool & Wolverine on Disney+ and Hulu, but because it achieved the highest result in the first five days among all live-action Disney films released since that film. Animated films are excluded from this comparison.
