The Devil Wears Prada 2 Stays Number One at the US Box Office
Introduction
The sequel to The Devil Wears Prada has kept the top spot in the North American box office this weekend, beating several new movies and older hits.
Main Body
The Devil Wears Prada 2 earned $43 million in its second domestic weekend, bringing its total global earnings to $433.2 million in just twelve days. Consequently, The Walt Disney Studios has now passed the $2 billion global mark for the year. This sequel has already made more money worldwide than the original 2006 film, which earned about $326-327 million. Experts emphasize that the film's success was partly due to its release around Mother's Day, which attracted more of its target audience. In contrast, Mortal Kombat II opened with $40 million across 3,503 theaters. However, there was a clear difference in the audience; 75% of its viewers were male, whereas The Devil Wears Prada 2 attracted a different demographic. Other films also performed well: the Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, earned $36.5 million in its third weekend, and The Sheep Detectives opened with $15.9 million. Additionally, the Billie Eilish 3D concert film, co-directed by James Cameron, made $7.5 million domestically and $12.6 million internationally. Despite its financial success, critics are divided on the movie. Some praised the return of the original cast and the way the film shows the changes in modern media. On the other hand, some reviewers criticized the cinematography and argued that the plot was not well-organized, particularly regarding the main character's partner.
Conclusion
The Devil Wears Prada 2 continues to lead the domestic market, performing better than both expensive action movies and special concert films.
Learning
⚡ The 'B2 Logic' Upgrade: Moving Beyond 'And' & 'But'
At the A2 level, you likely connect your ideas using simple words like and, but, and because. To reach B2, you need Connectors of Contrast and Consequence. These are the 'glue' that make your English sound professional and academic.
🧩 The Contrast Toolset
Look at how the article compares movies. It doesn't just say "Movie A is good but Movie B is different." It uses high-level bridges:
- Whereas: Used to compare two different facts in one sentence.
- Example: "75% of its viewers were male, whereas The Devil Wears Prada 2 attracted a different demographic."
- In contrast: Used to start a new sentence that shows a total opposite.
- Example: "In contrast, Mortal Kombat II opened with $40 million."
- Despite: Used to show that something happened even though there was a problem.
- Example: "Despite its financial success, critics are divided."
📈 The Result Toolset
Instead of always using "so," the B2 student uses Consequently.
- Consequently: This means "as a result of this." It creates a formal link between a cause and an effect.
- Article Logic: Disney made millions Consequently, they passed the $2 billion mark.
💡 Quick Upgrade Guide
| A2 Word (Simple) | B2 Alternative (Advanced) | Usage Tip |
|---|---|---|
| But | On the other hand | Use this to introduce a second, opposing opinion. |
| So | Consequently | Use this at the start of a sentence for a formal result. |
| But / Although | Despite | Follow this with a noun (Despite the rain...), not a full sentence. |
| And | Additionally | Use this to add a new piece of information to a list. |