New To The Monday Morning Box Office Hangover Report?
Every Monday, here on the Monday Morning Hangover Report we break down the weekend box office: who won, who didn’t, and what the numbers are really saying about what audiences want right now. It’s your post-weekend debrief with a little cocktail bite.
Opening Pour
Well, look who came moonwalking back to the top. Michael reclaimed No. 1 in its fourth weekend with $26.1 million domestic, pushing The Devil Wears Prada 2 into second with $18 million. But the more interesting move of the weekend may have been Obsession, which opened in third with $16.1 million on what AP reports was a tiny $750,000 budget. That is the kind of math that makes studio executives suddenly start pretending they always believed in original horror. Again.
Top 5 Domestic Films
(BoxofficeMojo.com Weekend estimates, May 15 to May 17, 2026)
- Michael – $26.1M
- The Devil Wears Prada 2 – $18.0M
- Obsession – $16.1M
- Mortal Kombat II – $13.4M
- The Sheep Detectives – $9.3M
Recap
This was a sturdier weekend than it might look at first glance. The top of the chart did not belong to one runaway winner. It belonged to a cluster of movies all doing enough business to keep the market breathing. Michael is now at about $703.9 million worldwide, The Devil Wears Prada 2 has climbed to roughly $546.2 million globally, and Obsession arrived as the weekend’s fresh blood with strong reviews and a very healthy start for a modestly scaled horror release.
Highlights and insights
1) Michael is officially more than a big opening
A fourth-weekend return to No. 1 with $26.1 million is not normal blockbuster behavior after getting knocked off the top. That is real staying power. EW notes the film is now the second-highest-grossing movie of 2026 worldwide, trailing only The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, while AP puts its worldwide total at $703.9 million. That is not a one-weekend sensation. That is a full-on theatrical success story.
2) The Devil Wears Prada 2 finally took the hit, but it is still in great shape
Second place with $18 million is a comedown only because the film opened so strongly. AP reports Prada”s worldwide total has now reached $546.2 million, which means it is still very much a hit even after surrendering the crown. It did not collapse. It just ran into a weekend where Michael proved it still had real juice left in the tank.
3) Obsession is the weekend’s nastiest little win
This is the true “holy hell, that was cheap, is this the NEW Blair Witch Project” story of the weekend. AP reports Obsession opened to $16.1 million on a $750,000 budget, with a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score and an A- CinemaScore. That is the kind of breakout horror launch that reminds everyone why the genre never really goes out of style. When it works, it works loudly and profitably.
4) Mortal Kombat II had the rougher second weekend than anyone at the studio wanted
It landed in fourth with $13.4 million, and AP notes that is a 65% drop from its debut. That does not mean the movie is dead on arrival, but it does mean the follow-through is shakier than you want for a title built on recognizable IP and broad action appeal. This is where “solid opening” starts turning into “okay, but what are the legs?”
5) The Sheep Detectives is quietly hanging around
Fifth place with $9.3 million is not headline-grabbing, but it keeps the film in the conversation and helps the weekend feel more balanced than top-heavy. This is one of those titles that may not dominate the narrative but still matters when you are looking at the health of the overall marketplace. A living, breathing box office usually has one or two of these still milling around the bar.
Who Had the Rough Morning After?
This week’s honor for the Monday Morning Box Office Hangover Report rough morning after belongs to Mortal Kombat II. Not because $13.4 million is catastrophic in a vacuum, but because a 65% second-weekend drop is exactly the kind of number that makes the Monday executive call a little more tense than anyone wants to admit. You could also make a case that The Devil Wears Prada 2 had the less fun headline, since it lost the top spot after only one weekend on top, but that one is still making too much money globally to feel truly hungover.
What’s next
The immediate question is whether Michael can hold on for another weekend or whether this was just a temporary rebound before the next big challenger arrives. AP notes that the coming weekend brings Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, which should change the temperature of the market in a hurry. So this weekend may end up looking less like the start of a long new reign and more like Michael grabbing the crown for one last dance before a very large franchise walks through the door.
Final Pour
This Monday Morning Box Office Hangover Report had a little bit of everything. Michael reminded everyone it is a real hit, The Devil Wears Prada 2 stayed lucrative even in second, and Obsession delivered the kind of horror breakout that keeps the genre grinning like a maniac. The top of the chart did not explode, but it did feel alive, competitive, and varied, which is a hell of a lot better than one movie doing all the work while the rest of the lineup lies face-down on the floor. 🍸🍿
