High Heels Overtake Capes: 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Signals Shift in Box Office Trends

As Hollywood's summer movie season begins, theater owners shift focus from superhero films to 'The Devil Wears Prada 2,' starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, to entice audiences. Box office analysts predict a strong performance for 'Prada 2' as action films see a decline in ticket sales, while family and horror genres rise.

When the Hollywood summer movie season kicks off this Friday, theaters are banking on the success of 'The Devil Wears Prada 2,' which stars iconic actors Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, to draw crowds instead of relying on the usual superhero blockbusters. This shift comes as Disney postponed 'Avengers: Doomsday,' originally slated for the same weekend, to make room for the sequel while the Marvel film finishes production.

This strategic move is anticipated to yield a significant opening for 'Prada 2,' as it aligns with a current downturn in the box office impact of action films, according to Doug Creutz, a TD Cowen analyst. In recent years, action and adventure movies have seen their ticket sales shrink, with figures dropping to some of their lowest levels in over a decade.

In contrast to this trend, cinema attendance for family and horror movies is climbing, with hits like 'Lilo & Stitch,' 'Zootopia 2,' and 'The Super Mario Bros Movie' leading the pack. Theaters are promoting 'Prada 2' with creative offerings such as purse-shaped popcorn containers and themed cocktails, suggesting a market ready for a broader range of genres to captivate audiences this summer.