‘Michael’ Surpasses $700 Million Globally, ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Nears $550 Million Milestone

Can’t stop the King of Pop.

“Michael,” a biopic about the musical icon, has cleared a major box office milestone with more than $700 million globally. Over the weekend, the film returned to No. 1 at the international box office with $57.7 million from 83 foreign markets. The crowd-pleaser — distributed by Universal internationally and Lionsgate domestically — moved and grooved back to first place on domestic and global charts as well, a remarkable feat in its fourth weekend of release.

Related Stories

Kino Lorber Acquires North American Rights to Mark Cousins’ ‘The Story of Documentary Film’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Twickenham Film Studios, Miller Team on New Insurance Referral Service for Producers (EXCLUSIVE)

So far, “Michael” has generated a towering $703 million worldwide, including $421 million overseas and $282 million domestically. With one significant market — Japan — yet to open, “Michael” could eclipse 2018’s sensation “Bohemian Rhapsody” ($911 million) to stand as the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time.

Another box office juggernaut is Disney’s nostalgic sequel “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” which is nearing $550 million globally — with ticket sales at $546.2 million to date. The starry comedy, led by Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, added $50.6 million overseas in its third frame. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” has been popular in North America with $175.9 million, but it’s been especially huge at the international box office with $370.3 million to date. Top-earning markets are the United Kingdom ($36.9 million), Italy ($34.6 million), Brazil ($27 million) and Mexico ($24.6 million). It’s a hit for Disney, which spent $100 million to produce the sequel.

Elsewhere at the box office, the Warner Bros. sequel “Mortal Kombat II” collected just $10 million from 79 overseas territories, marking a 53% decline from its opening weekend. After two weekends in theaters, the R-rated video game adaptation has earned $39 million internationally and $101 million globally to date. It cost $80 million to produce.

Another holdover, Amazon MGM’s charming mystery “Sheep Detective,” brought in $14 million from 88 territories in its second frame. The PG-comedy, starring Hugh Jackman, has earned $29 million overseas and $58.7 million globally. It’ll need to stick around in theaters to justify its hefty $75 million price tag, though excellent reviews and positive word-of-mouth should help the movie’s box office legs.