Mortal Kombat 2 Delivers Fatality to The Devil Wears Prada 2 at The Box-Office

Despite opening amid a stacked slate, Mortal Kombat 2 has commenced its box office run on a high note, and is currently eyeing to dethrone The Devil Wears Prada 2 in its opening weekend. Having amassed the highest critical scores among all the live-action MK movies so far, the Mortal Kombat sequel is gunning for the top spot at this weekend’s box office.

While the competition between these summer juggernauts has been very stiff, and the Meryl Streep-led sequel can still surpass MK2 with the potential Mother’s Day boost, as of May 9, the sequel to the 2021 movie seems to have the upper hand.

Mortal Kombat 2 Inches Past The Devil Wears Prada 2 at the Box Office

On Friday, Mortal Kombat 2 claimed the top spot at the North American box office after registering an opening day haul of $17 million (via Rolling Stone), and in turn, broke The Devil Wears Prada sequel’s week-long streak at the box office.

But as said before, the Mother’s Day boost on Sunday will make the battle between these titans all the more interesting, as both movies are currently meandering in the $40–42 million range for the weekend (via Deadline).

At this rate, both movies are expected to surpass or at least inch closer to their predecessors’ figures by the end of this weekend. And while MK2‘s case is hardly surprising as the first movie had the misfortune of having a hybrid release during the pandemic, the Streep-led sequel’s dominance is scintillating to say the least.

How Much Does Mortal Kombat 2 Need to Break Even?

A still from Mortal Kombat II (2026) | Credit: WB

Compared to its predecessor, whose budget was $55 million, the sequel’s budget reportedly stands at $80 million (via The Numbers), which isn’t outlandish for a summer tentpole release with heavy CGI and major A-listers.

And going by the unspoken box office rule, the movie would need to score $200 million from its theatrical run. Although it isn’t exactly an easy task, especially given that the first movie only grossed north of $84 million (via The Numbers), it’s important to note that the first movie dropped simultaneously on HBO Max and theaters during the height of the pandemic.

Fortunately for the sequel, even though it has opened in a pretty crowded window, there’s little to no audience overlap between Mortal Kombat 2 and other movies currently playing in theaters.

Combined with the strong word of mouth surrounding the movie, along with the fact that it’s currently on track for a $40 million-plus opening weekend, a potential 3x multiplier could push its domestic total alone to $120 million or more. With that in mind, the $200 million threshold suddenly seems well within reach for the sequel.

Which movie is on your bucket list for this weekend? Comment below!

Both Mortal Kombat 2 and The Devil Wears Prada 2 are currently playing in theaters.