Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2: a new “Barbenheimer”?

On one side, Michael, the biopic about the King of Pop; on the other, The Devil Wears Prada 2, 20 years later. Two event films, two high-profile commercial operations: a new cultural phenomenon?

Spring 2026: cinema aims for the big event

The spring 2026 film season feels familiar - and at the same time electrifying - and the audience’s excitement is becoming more and more palpable. The horizon of Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2 is getting closer: two very different titles in terms of genre, target audience, and imagery are about to hit the big screen. Both, however, share the same destiny: to dominate the international box office.


On one side, a musical biopic dedicated to one of the greatest and most influential artists in music history, Michael Jackson; on the other, the second chapter of a twenty-year-old cult film that immersed us in the stressful and tyrannical editorial and fashion world of Runway, once again led by Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci.


In short, there’s a lot of exciting material on the table, and the anticipation feels endless. But let’s pause for a moment and focus on these two major titles: don’t they remind you of something? Doesn’t a particular cultural phenomenon from the summer of 2023 come to mind?


A new “Barbenheimer,” more pop and fashion-driven?

Let’s take a step back and return, indeed, to three years ago. In 2023, the simultaneous release of Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, and Oppenheimer, by Christopher Nolan, created a media short circuit that quickly turned into a shower of diamonds at the global box office. Today, with Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua, and The Devil Wears Prada 2, by David Frankel, that same pattern could repeat itself.


Back then, the contrast was between auteur cinema and blockbuster filmmaking; today, the battleground is that of “quality” mass adult entertainment:


  1. Michael aims for the power of the icon and music, celebrating the greatest male figure in pop music, who revolutionized the industry and live performance from the ground up. Moreover, from the first images circulating, it seems that his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, has poured heart, soul, and body into bringing his uncle’s extraordinary talent back to life.
  2. The Devil Wears Prada 2, on the other hand, plays on the nostalgia effect of a film that has long since entered the collective imagination, on fashion culture, and on the strength of a cinematic “brand” deeply rooted in audiences. Furthermore, seeing the brilliant quartet of the original film back at the helm can only make the hype even more unshakable.


So, this is not a direct clash, but rather a strategic coexistence that could amplify audience attention and turn these two releases into a single, shared event.


Box office forecasts point to a double hit

Early estimates from analysts confirm that we are looking at two potential global hits. According to projections by Boxoffice Pro:


  1. Michael could debut in the United States with 60–75 million dollars in its opening weekend;
  2. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is expected to open higher, with 80–95 million dollars in its first days.


If confirmed, these numbers would place both titles among the biggest openings of the year, while also highlighting another interesting fact: these are not “classic” blockbuster franchises, but products aimed at a more adult audience, eager to relive past emotions and timeless icons—following in the footsteps, for example, of Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024).


Two genres, one goal: bringing audiences back to theaters

The film industry - like all markets - is constantly searching for stability, especially after the twin blows of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rise of streaming platforms.


Event films like Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2 represent, in this sense, a clear bet: to bring audiences back into cinemas. This strategy reflects a precise trend in contemporary filmmaking:


  1. Enhancement of strong intellectual properties that are not “superhero” franchises;
  2. Centrality of movie stars;
  3. The return of the “adult” event film with ambitious commercial appeal;


If 2023 was the year of “Barbenheimer,” 2026 could be remembered as the year when the film industry proved that there is still room for blockbusters that are neither overloaded with special effects nor tied to shared universes.


Andrea Pelucchi