Entertainment
The Devil Wears Prada 2 Proves Women Over 50 Are Box Office Draws
Hollywood is finally starting to tell a different kind of story, and women over 50 are right at the center of it.
Today, actresses over 50 are powering box-office tentpole films in leading roles and influencing culture in the process. The response is clear: Recent audience research on age-diverse storytelling finds 93% of adults say they’re likely to watch movies or shows featuring older leads. The heat around “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” including an opening weekend of $77 million in domestic ticket sales and $233 million worldwide, makes it undeniable: build major properties around grown-up women, and audiences will follow.
Meryl Streep, 76, recently said women over 50 have often been made to “disappear into the woodwork.” Now, they’re stepping out of it, with the presence and style that command – and deserve – attention. The buzz around “Prada 2” has been fueled in large part by a global press tour featuring dozens of looks for Streep and co-stars Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. These red carpet moments have reverberated across fashion, culture and the economy, signaling that audiences are not just showing up for the film, but for what it represents: a sequel that transcends nostalgia and lands as a long overdue celebration of grown-up women – women who are central, complex, funny, romantic, formidable… and commercially compelling.
For years, “older-led” projects were treated as a specialty lane. But the data and demand reveal a significant disconnect: Age diversity actually makes stories much more relatable across audiences, with younger viewers especially eager to see intergenerational casts. AARP has long been ahead of this shift. For decades, its Movies for Grownups initiative has championed storytelling that reflects real life after 50, and challenges the industry to push beyond outdated stereotypes.
Fortunately, the data is now backed by a lot more star power. At CinemaCon, Sandra Bullock, 61, and Nicole Kidman, 58, helped launch the trailer for “Practical Magic 2,” a project with an estimated $125 million budget – exactly the kind of spend reserved for bets the industry believes can scale. Together, Bullock and Kidman command more than $7 billion in box office receipts.
Viola Davis, 60, now widely cited as the highest-grossing Black film actress in history, is credited with more than $15 billion in global box-office contributions; her 2022 action star vehicle, “The Woman King,” opened at No. 1 and reached $94 million globally.
Angela Bassett, 67, helped drive “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” past $850 million worldwide and remains among the highest-paid actresses on TV (reported at $450,000 per episode for “9-1-1”).
We are well past a few standout moments; this is sustained momentum, and the returns speak for themselves.
The case has never been clearer: today there are 125 million Americans over age 50, living longer, healthier, more engaged lives – and they spend more than $10 billion annually on moviegoing and streaming. The “longevity economy” shows up in subscription decisions, opening weekends, and the long tail of library viewing and film festivals.
When executives talk about “finding growth,” the 50+ audience is already in plain sight, waiting to be fully tapped. The entertainment industry has long been youth-obsessed, but the momentum is now undeniable. Women over 50 are at the height of their influence, and aligning investment and marketing with them, and the audience they attract, unlocks significant value.
Here’s what that means in practice:
1) Greenlight for longevity, not nostalgia. Projects like “The Devil Wears Prada 2” work because they treat grown-up women as consequential – at work, in friendship, in conflict, in reinvention. They rise above a simple reunion play, and audiences can feel the difference.
2) Follow the money. If 9 in 10 adults say they’ll watch older leads, and the 50+ audience spends $10B+ a year on movies and streaming, the risk isn’t over-investing in women 50+. The risk is under-serving them – especially in romance, where 57% of adults say their age group is missing from dating and intimacy storylines.
3) Market with conviction. Visibility is part of the flywheel. When campaigns present older women as style icons, romantic leads and cultural forces, they expand what audiences expect and what brands can confidently align with. The lens widens, and consumer behavior follows.
Entertainment helps us make sense of who we are and who we may become. When women 50+ are depicted with depth and intention, it does more than correct the record; it expands what storytelling can be at every age and stage of life. The result is broader resonance: younger audiences see a future they can and want to grow into, and older audiences see lives that feel real, relevant, and possible.
The era of longevity is already here, with people 50+ driving an $8.3 trillion U.S. economy, a figure projected to grow substantially in the decades ahead. The question now is whether the entertainment industry, and business at large, will act on this opportunity or fall short of it.
Will the industry treat the “Devil Wears Prada 2” moment as an anomaly and return to the kind of progress that, to quote Streep, moves at a glacial pace? Or will they recognize the box office hit for what it is – a turning point – and build on it in a way that finally reflects the most powerful consumers in the market?
Audiences have already shown the way; the opportunity is to follow.
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Whatever Lola wants, Broadway provides! A Damn Yankees revival is set for the Great White Way in Spring 2027, with Neil Patrick Harris as the devilish Mr. Applegate.
On Sunday, the Tony-winning actor arrived at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to announce the revival in a press conference, along with co-stars Julianne Hough and Austin Scott, who have been cast Mr. Applegate’s seductive assistant Lola and the susceptible young baseballer Joe Boyd.
Beginning previews at the Marquis Theatre on March 24, 2027, one day before the first Yankees game of the season, the official opening night is set for April 20.
Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, additional casting will be announced soon for the latest update of Richard Adler, Jerry Ross, George Abbott and Douglass Wallop’s 1955 musical comedy, featuring a new book by Will Power and Doug Wright, with additional lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.
Set in 2000, this version of Damn Yankees sees impassioned Baltimore Orioles fan Joe Boyd makes a deal with charming stranger Lola to give him and his team a second chance. But he’s not quite prepared for the consequences of his wish.
Watch the press conference below:
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Bassam Tariq’s Mahershala Ali-starring TIFF favorite Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother had a strong limited opening as distributor Amazon MGM launched the awards contender into a platform release hewing to the path of American Fiction..
Also this weekend, A History of Concrete had a terrific expansion, as did If I Go Will They Miss Me. Late summer phenomenon Buddy is still scaring up box office.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother launched in six theaters in New York and Los Angeles to $199k ($33.1k per screen average). The awards contender by Tariq (Mogul Mowgli) is Certified Fresh at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes with strong exit polling that showed a 60% ‘excellent’ with an 89% in the top two boxes and an overall 80% ‘definite recommend.’ Ali stars as Latif, a devoutly religious hitman who struggles to balance work, faith and fatherhood. When his wife dies, he embarks on a desperate journey across Houston to protect his children.
A hefty 47% of the audience for the action drama was 25–34. Some 72% is non-white with at 41% African American, 18% Hispanic, and 19% Asian.
Tariq (Mogul Mowgli) “has a unique voice” with a young cinephile audience,” says Amazon MGM Studios head of domestic theatrical distribution Kevin Wilson. “And having [Ali] as an actor is making a lot of people pay attention.”
Comps aren’t obvious but he says the best one may be 2023 multi-Oscar-winner American Fiction by Cord Jefferson, starring Jeffrey Wright. The comedy-drama had a strong limited opening ($224k) followed by a slow rollout. Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is eyeing 15 locations next week including Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Austin, playing in particular to non-white audiences who championed the movie’s debut. It will hit the top 10 to 12 markets, 30 to 40 screens, the following week, and move into moderate release Oct. 16 with 500 to 800 locations.
Platform rollouts are heavily reliant on word of mouth. “The best thing is other moviegoers telling their friends how good the film is,” Wilson says. Both Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother and American Fiction are from Amazon MGM’s Orion Pictures banner, which has had a great run under President Alana Mayo with titles from Nickel Boys and Till to Bottoms and Women Talking.
New indie releases: Ha Chan,Shake Your Booty! from Sony Pictures Classics directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka opened to $236.6k on 540 screens.
The Stunt Driver from IFC Films, by Michael Dowse starring Jay Baruchel, debuted with $102k at 670 locations.
Deep In The Heart 2: A Texas Rivers Story, directed by Ben Masters and narrated by Ethan Hawke, grossed an estimated $60k from 80 theaters across the state, as per mtuckman Media. This is a follow-up to 2022 doc Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story, narrated by Matthew McConaughey, that grossed $480k.
Janus Films presented the 4K re-release of Douglas Keeve’s UNZIPPED exclusively at the Film Forum in NYC to $24k including sold out Q&As. The doc chronicles the launch of Isaac Mizrahi’s legendary Fall 1994 collection. Expands nationwide in October.
Sumerian Pictures opened Sundance comedy The Incomer on two screens (NYC and LA), grossing an estimated $18.2k.
Greenwich Entertainment’s The Scout is eyeing a $14.5k, also at Film Forum exclusively. The debut feature from Paula González-Nasser adds LA next week.
Holdovers: John Wilson’s comedic documentary The History Of Concrete from Magnolia Pictures had a strong expansion to 50 screens (from 1), grossing an estimated $350k for a cume of $511k. Expand to over 50 markets next week.
If I Go Will They Miss Me from Rich Spirit, starring Danielle Brooks and J Alphonse Nicholson and directed by Walter Thompson-Hernandez, is reporting $158k in week 3 on 101 screens for a $758k cume. Many engagements saw higher box office this weekend over last despite fewer shows due to a rush of new releases, indicating strong word of mouth.
American Doctor from Watermelon Pictures passed the half million mark with $23k at 30 theaters. The cume to date is $556.7k for the Gaza-set documentary that opened August 14.
R-rated kids show horror satire Buddy from Roadside Attractions is looking at another $717k from 709 runs for a cume pushing $26.4 million since its August 28 opening.
Daniel And The Fiery Furnace from faith-based distributor EKKL Entertainment is reporting a $1.5 million second weekend on 1,301 screens for a $6.2 million cume.
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Robert Pattinson doesn’t see his version of Batman interacting with other DC superheroes within James Gunn‘s cinematic universe.
While Batman and Superman have one of the most famous friendships in DC Comics, the Primetime star recently explained to LADbible why it would be “tough” for director Matt Reeves’ version of Bruce Wayne to exist in Gunn’s DCU, such as with David Corenswet’s Superman.
“I think it would be kind of tough to have this version of Bruce outside of that world. It’s one of the only characters, I guess because of the length of the shoots but also it’s such a specific kind of [style], the tone of it gets inside you,” Pattinson said. “I remember that happened to me the last time I did it, it took a while. You’re just in the dark, the whole time. Both mood-wise and light-wise, I can’t see anything for like months. It does affect you; like you feel strange afterwards.”
Reeves’ The Batman, released in 2022, is a darker take on the iconic character, as it’s a grounded psychological crime noir rather than a typical superhero action pic. The film sees Pattinson’s Batman investigate Gotham’s hidden corruption after a sadistic serial killer begins murdering key political figures.
Pattinson reprised his character for Reeves’ The Batman Part II, which is currently in production and set to hit theaters on Feb. 18, 2028.
The Odyssey actor recently teased to Collider that the sequel is “a real left turn from the first” movie, adding that “it’s so ambitious.”
“The first one was a different take on a Batman movie, and this one is another… It’s a real left turn from the first one, but somehow it keeps elements of the kind of feel of it,” he explained. “But it just feels really ambitious, and I’m excited to see how it turns out.”
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